r 


THE 


PIONEERS; 

OR, 

THE    SOURCES    OF   THE    SUSQUEHAMA 

31 


BY    J.    FENIMORE    COOPER 


Extremes  of  habits,  manners,  time,  and  spaco, 
Brought  close  together,  iiere  stood  face  to  face, 
And  gave  at  once  a  contrast  to  the  view, 
That  other  lands  and  ages  never  knew. Pauldlnp. 


COMPLETE   IN    ONE    VOLUME. 


NEW    EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 
S1RINGER      AND      T  0  W  N  S  E  JST  D 

1856. 


cut 


PIONEERS. 


Southern  District  of  New-York,  ss. 

BE  it  remembered,  that  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  October,  in  the  forty, 
seventh  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Charle* 
Wiley,  of  the  said  district,  hath  deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the 
right  whereof  he  claims  as  proprietor,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit : 

"  The  Pioneers,  or  the  Sources  of  the  Susquehanna ;  a  Descriptive  Tale. 
By  the  Author  of  Precaution.' 

« Extremes  of  habits,  manners,  time,  and  space, 
Brought  close  together,  here  stood  face  to  face, 
And  gave  at  once  a  contrast  to  the  view, 
That  other  lands  and  ages  never  knew.'— Pauldinff." 

In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled,  "  An  Act 
for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts,  and 
books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  time  therein 
mentioned  ;"  and  also  to  an  Act,  entitled,  "  An  Act,  supplementary  to  an  Act, 
entitled,  An  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of 
maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during 
the  times  therein  mentioned,  and  extending  the  benefits,  thereof  to  the  arts  ot' 
designing,  engraving,  and  etching  historical  "^  Jjf^'gg;^ 

Clerk  of  the  Southern  District  of  N0v  - 


TO 

JACOB  SUTHERLAND, 

OF  BLENHEIM,  SCHOHARIE, 

ESQUIRE. 

THE  length  of  our  friendship  would  be  a  swffi* 
cient  reason  for  prefixing  your  name  to  these 
pages  ;  but  your  residence  so  near  the  scene  of  the 
tale,  and  your  familiarity  with  much  of  the  charac 
ter  and  kind  of  life  that  I  have  attempted  to  de 
scribe,  render  it  more  peculiarly  proper.  You,  at 
least,  dear  Sutherland,  will  not  receive  this  dedi 
cation  as  a  cold  compliment,  but  as  an  evidence 
of  the  feeling  that  makes  me, 

Warmly  and  truly, 
Your  friend, 


PREFACE. 


TO  MR.  CHARLES  WILEY,  BOOKSELLER. 

EVERY  man  is,  more  or  less,  the  sport  of  acci 
dent  ;  nor  do  I  know  that  authors  are  at  all  ex 
empted  from  this  humiliating  influence.  This  is 
the  third  of  my  novels,  and  it  depends  on  two  ve 
ry  uncertain  contingencies,  whether  it  will  not  he 
the  last : — the  one  being  the  public  opinion,  and 
the  other  mine  own  hamour.  The  first  book  was 
written,  oecause  I  was  told  that  I  could  not  write 
a  grave  tale ;  so,  to  prove  that  the  world  did  not 
know  me,  I  wrote  one  that  was  so  grave  nobody 
would  read  it ;  wherein  I  think  that  I  had  much 
the  best  of  the  argument.  The  second  was  writ 
ten  to  see  if  I  could  not  overcome  this  neglect  of 
the  reading  world.  How  far  I  have  succeeded, 
Mr.  CHARLES  WILEY,  must  ever  remain  a  secret 
between  ourselves.  The  third  has  been  written, 
exclusively,  to  please  myself:  so  it  would  be  no 

wonder  if  it  displeased  every  body  else  ;  for  what 
1* 


0  PREFACE. 

two  ever  thought  alike,  on  a  subject  of  the  imagina 
tion  ? 

I  should  think  criticism  to  be  the  perfection  of 
human  acquirements,  did  there  not  exist  this  dis 
crepancy  in  taste.  Just  as  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  to  adopt  the  very  sagacious  hints  of  one  learn 
ed  Reviewer,  a  pamphlet  is  put  into  my  hands, 
containing  the  remarks  of  another,  who  condemns 
all  that  his  rival  praises,  and  praises  all  that  his  ri 
val  condemns.  There  I  am,  left  like  an  ass  be- 
*ween  two  locks  of  hay ;  so  that  I  have  deter 
mined  to  relinquish  my  animate  nature,  and  remain 
stationary,  like  a  lock  of  hay  between  twTo  asses. 

It  is  now  a  long  time,  say  the  wise  ones,  since 
the  world  has  been  told  all  that  is  new  and  novel. 
But  the  Reviewers  (the  cunning  wights!)  have 
adopted  an  ingenious  expedient,  to  give  a  freshness 
to  the  most  trite  idea.  They  clothe  it  in  a  lan 
guage  so  obscure  and  metaphysical,  that  the  reader 
is  not  about  to  comprehend  their  pages  without 
some  labour.  This  is  called  a  great  "  range  of 
thought ;"  and  not  improperly,  as  I  can  testify ; 
for,  in  my  own  case,  I  have  frequently  ranged  the 
universe  of  ideas,  and  come  back  again  in  as  per 
fect  ignorance  of  their  meaning  as  when  I  set  out. 
It  is  delightful,  to  see  the  literati  of  a  circulating 
library  get  hold  of  one  of  these  difficult  periods  ! 
Their  praise  of  the  performance  is  exactly  com 
mensurate  with  its  obscurity.  Every  body  knows, 
that  to  seem  wise  is  the  first  requisite  in  a  great 
man. 


PREFACE.  7 

A  common  word  in  the  mouths  of  all  Review 
ers,  readers  of  magazines,  and  young  ladies,  when 
speaking  of  novels,  is  u  keeping  ;"  and  yet  there 
are  but  few  who  attach  the  same  meaning  to  it. 
I  belong,  myself,  to  the  old  school,  in  this  particu 
lar,  and  think  that  it  applies  more  to  the  subject 
in  hand,  than  to  any  use  of  terms,  or  of  cant  expres 
sions.  As  a  man  might  just  as  well  be  out  of  the 
world  as  out  of  "  keeping,"  I  have  endeavoured  to 
confine  myself,  in  this  tale,  strictly  to  its  observ 
ance.  This  is  a  formidable  curb  to  the  imagina 
tion,  as,  doubtless,  the  reader  will  very  soon  dis 
cover  ;  but  under  its  influence  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion,  that  the  writer  of  a  tale,  who  takes  the 
earth  for  the  scene  of  his  story,  is  in  some  degree 
bound  to  respect  human  nature.  Therefore  I 
would  advise  any  one,  who  may  take  up  this  book, 
with  the  expectation  of  meeting  gods  and  goddess 
es,  spooks  or  witches,  or  of  feeling  that  strong  ex 
citement  that  is  produced  by  battles  and  murders, 
to  throw  it  aside  at  once,  for  no  such  interest  will 
be  found  in  any  of  its  pages. 

I  have  already  said  that  it  was  mine  own  humour 
that  suggested  this  tale ;  but  it  is  a  humour  that  is 
deeply  connected  with  feeling.  Happier  periods, 
more  interesting  events,  and  possibly,  more  beau 
teous  scenes,  might  have  been  selected,  to  exem 
plify  my  subject ;  but  none  of  either  that  would  be 
so  jear  to  me.  I  wish,  therefore,  to  be  judged 
more  by  what  I  have  done,  than  by  my  sins  of 
omission.  I  have  introduced  one  battle,  but  it  is 


8  PREFACE. 

not  of  the  most  Homeric  kind.  As  for  murders, 
the  population  of  a  new  country  will  not  admit  of 
such  a  waste  of  human  life.  There  might  possibly 
have  been  one  or  two  hangings,  to  the  manifest  ad 
vantage  of  the  "  settlement ;"  but  then  it  would 
have  been  out  of  "  keeping"  with  the  humane  laws 
of  this  compassionate  country. 

The  "  Pioneers"  is  now  before  the  world,  Mr. 
WILEY,  and  I  shall  look  to  you  for  the  only  true 
account  of  its  reception.  The  critics  may  write  as 
obscurely  as  they  please,  and  look  much  wiser  than 
they  are ;  the  papers  may  puff  or  abuse,  as  theii 
changeful  humours  dictate ;  but  if  you  meet  me 
with  a  smiling  face,  I  shall  at  once  know  that  all 
is  essentially  well. 

If  you  should  ever  have  occasion  for  a  preface,  I 
beg  you  will  let  me  hear  from  you  in  reply. 

Yours,  truly, 

THE  AUTHOR. 
New-York^  January  1st,  1823. 


THE  PIONEER, 


SOURCES  OF  THE  SUSQUEHANNA, 


CHAPTER  I. 


See,  Winter  comes,  to  rule  the  varied  year, 
Sullen  and  sad,  with  all  his  rising  train ; 
Vapours,  and  clouds,  and  storms — 


Thomson. 


NEAR  the  centre  of  the  great  State  of  New- York 
lies  an  extensive  district  of  country,  whose  surface 
is  a  succession  of  hills  and  dales,  or,  to  speak  with 
greater  deference  to  geographical  definitions,  of 
mountains  and  valleys.  It  is  among  these  hills  that 
the  Delaware  takes  its  rise  ;  and  flowing  from  the 
limpid  lakes  and  thousand  springs  of  this  country, 
the  numerous  sources  of  the  mighty  Susquehanna 
meander  through  the  valleys,  until,  uniting,  they 
form  one  of  the  proudest  streams  of  which  the  old 
United  States  could  boast.  The  mountains  are 
generally  arable  to  the  top,  although  instances  are 
not  wanting,  where  their  sides  are  jutted  with 
rocks,  that  aid  greatly  in  giving  that  romantic  cha 
racter  to  the  country,  which  it  so  eminently  pos 
sesses.  The  vales  are  narrow,  rich,  and  cultivated  ; 
with  a  stream  uniformly  winding  through  each, 


10  THE    PIONEERS. 

now  gliding  peacefully  under  the  brow  of  one  of 
the  hills,  and  then  suddenly  shooting  across  the 
plain,  to  wash  Jfre  feet  of  its  opposite  rival.  Beau 
tiful  and  thriving  villages  are  found  interspersed 
along  the  margins  of  the  small  lakes,  or  situated  at 
those  points  of  the  streams  which  are  favourable  to 
manufacturing;  and  neat  and  comfortable  farms, 
with  every  indication  of  wealth  about  them,  are 
scattered  profusely  through  the  vales,  and  even  to 
the  mountain  tops.  Roads  diverge  in  every  direc 
tion,  from  the  even  and  graceful  bottoms  of  the 
valleys,  to  the  most  rugged  and  intricate  passes  of 
the  hills.  Academies,  and  minor  edifices  for  the 
encouragement  of  learning,  meet  the  eye  of  the 
stranger,  at  every  few  miles,  as  he  winds  his  way 
through  this  uneven  territory ;  and  places  for  the 
public  worship  of  God  abound  with  that  frequency 
which  characterizes  a  moral  and  reflecting  people, 
and  with  that  variety  of  exterior  and  canonical  go 
vernment  which  flows  from  unfettered  liberty  of 
conscience.  In  short,  the  whole  district  is  hourly 
exhibiting  how  much  can  be  done,  in  even  a  rug 
ged  country,  and  with  a  severe  climate,  under  the 
dominion  of  mild  laws,  and  where  every  man  feels 
a  direct  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  a  common- 
Wealth,  of  which  he  knows  himself  to  form  a  dis 
tinct  and  independent  part.  The  expedients  of 
the  pioneers  who  first  broke  ground  in  the  settle 
ment  of  this  country,  are  succeeded  by  the  perma 
nent  improvements  of  the  yeoman,  who  intends  to 
leave  his  remains  to  moulder  under  the  sod  which 
he  tills,  or,  perhaps,  of  the  son,  who,  born  in  the 
land,  piously  wishes  to  linger  around  the  grave  of 
liis  father.  Only  forty  years  have  passed  since 
this  whole  territory  was  a  wilderness. 

Very  soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  inde 
pendence  of  the  States  by  the  peace  of  1783,  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  11 

enterprise  of  their  citizens  was  directed  to  a  deve- 
lopement  of  the  natural  advantages  of  their  widely 
extended  dominions.  Before  the  war  of  the  revolu 
tion  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  colony  of  New- York 
were  limited  to  less  than  a  tenth  of  her  possessions, 
A  narrow  belt  of  country,  extending  for  a  short 
distance  on  either  side  of  the  Hudson,  with  a  simi 
lar  occupation  of  fifty  miles  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mohawk,  together  with  the  islands  of  Nassau  and 
Staten,  and  a  few  insulated  settlements  on  chosen 
land  along  the  margins  of  streams,  composed  the 
country  that  was  then  inhabited  by  less  than  two 
hundred  thousand  souls.  Within  the  short  period 
we  have  mentioned,  her  population  has  spread  itself 
over  five  degrees  of  latitude  and  seven  of  longi 
tude,  and  has  swelled  to  the  powerful  number  of 
nearly  a  million  and  a  half,  who  are  maintained  in 
abundance,  and  can  look  forward  to  ages  before  the 
evil  day  must  arrive,  when  their  possessions  will 
become  unequal  to  their  wants. 

Our  tale  begins  in  1793,  about  seven  years  after 
the  commencement  of  one  of  the  earliest  of  those 
settlements,  which  have  conduced  to  effect  that 
magical  change  in  the  power  and  condition  of  the 
state,  to  \vhich  we  have  alluded. 

It  wras  near  the  setting  of  the  sun,  on  a  clear, 
cold  day  in  December  of  that  year,  when  a  sleigh 
was  moving  slowly  up  one  of  the  mountains  in  the 
district  which  we  have  described.  The  day  had 
been  fine  for  the  season,  and  but  two  or  three  large 
clouds,  whose  colour  seemed  brightened  by  the 
light  reflected  from  the  mass  of  snow  that  cove-red 
the  earth,  floated  in  a  sky  of  the  purest  blue.  The 
road  wound  along  the  brow  of  a  precipice,  and  on 
one  side  was  upheld  by  a  foundation  of  logs,  piled 
for  many  feet,  one  upon  the  other,  while  a  narrow 
excavation  in  the  mountain,  in  the  opposite  direc- 


THE    PIONEERS. 

tion,  had  made  a  passage  of  sufficient  width  for  the 
ordinary  travelling  of  that  day.     But  logs,  exca 
vation,  and  every  thing  that  did  not  reach  for  se 
veral  feet  above  the  earth,  lay  promiscuously  bu 
ried  under  the  snow.     A  single  track,  barely  wide 
enough  to  receive  the  sleigh,  denoted  the  route  of 
the  highway,  and  this  was  sunken  near  two  feet 
below  the  surrounding  surface.     In  the  vale,  which 
lay  at  a  distance  of  several  hundred  feet  beneath 
them,  there  was  what  in  the  language  of  the  coun 
try  was  called  a  clearing,  and  all  the  usual  im- 
piovements  of  a  new  settlement ;  these  even  ex 
tended  up  the  hill  to  the  point  where  the   road 
turned  short  and  ran  across  the  level  land,  which 
lay  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain ;  but  the  sum 
mit  itself  yet  remained  a  forest.     There  was  a 
glittering  in  the  atmosphere,  as  if  it  were  filled 
with  innumerable  shining  particles,  and  the  noble 
Day  horses  that  drew  the  sleigh  were  covered,  in 
many  parts,  with  a  coat  of  frost.     The  vapour  from 
their  nostrils  was  seen  to  issue  like  smoke  ;  and 
every  object  in  the  view,  as  well  as  every  arrange 
ment  of  the  travellers,  denoted  the  depth  of  a  win 
ter  in  the  mountains.     The  harness,  which  was 
of  a  deep  dull  black,  differing  from  the  glossy  var 
nishing  of  the  present  day,  was  ornamented  with 
enormous  plates  and  buckles  of  brass,  that  shone 
like  gold  in  the  transient  beams  of  the  sun,  which 
found  their  way  obliquely  through  the  tops  of  the 
trees.     Huge  saddles,  studded  with  nails  of  the 
same  material,  and  fitted  with  cloth  that  admirably 
served  as  blankets  to  the  shoulders  of  the  animals, 
supported  four  high,  square-topped  turrets,  through 
which  the  stout  reins  led  from  the  mouths  of  the 
horses  to  the  hands  of  the  driver,  who  was  a  negro, 
of  apparently  twenty  years  of  age.     His  face,  which 
nature  had  coloured  w'th  a  glistening  black,  was 


THE    PIONEERS.  13 

now  mottled  with  the  cold,  and  his  large  shining 
eyes  were  moistened  with  a  liquid  that  flowed 
from  the  same  cause  ;  still  there  was  a  smiling  ex 
pression  of  good  humour  in  his  happy  countenance, 
that  was  created  by  the  thoughts  of  his  home,  and 
a  Christmas  fire-side,  with  its  Christmas  frolics. 
The  sleigh  was  one  of  those  large,  comfortable, 
old-fashioned  conveyances,  which  would  admit  a 
whole  family  within  its  bosom,  but  which  now  con 
tained  only  two  passengers  besides  the  driver.  Its 
outside  was  a  modest  green,  and  its  inside  of  a  fiery 
red,  that  was  intended  to  convey  the  idea  of  heat 
in  that  cold  climate.  Large  buffalo  skins,  trimmed 
around  the  edges  with  red  cloth,  cut  into  festoons, 
covered  the  back  of  the  sleigh,  and  were  spread 
over  its  bottom,  and  drawn  up  around  the  feet  of 
the  travellers — one  of  whom  was  a  man  of  middle 
age,  and  the  other  a  female,  just  entering  upon 
womanhood.  The  former  was  of  a  large  stature ; 
but  the  precautions  he  had  taken  to  guard  against 
the  cold  left  but  little  of  his  person  exposed  to 
view.  A  great-coat,  that  was  abundantly  orna 
mented,  if  it  were  not  made  more  comfortable,  by 
a  profusion  of  furs,  enveloped  the  whole  of  his 
figure,  excepting  the  head,  which  was  covered  with 
a  cap  of  martin  skins,  lined  with  morocco,  the  sides 
of  which  were  made  to  fall,  if  necessary,  and  were 
now  drawn  close  over  the  ears,  and  were  fastened 
beneath  his  chin  with  a  black  riband  ;  its  top  was 
surmounted  with  the  tail  of  the  animal  whose  skin 
had  furnished  the  materials  for  the  cap,  which  fell 
back,  not  ungracefully,  a  few  inches  behind  the 
head.  From  beneath  this  masque  were  to  be  seen 
part  of  a  fine  manly  face,  and  particularly  a  pair  of 
expressive,  large  blue  eyes,  that  promised  extraor 
dinary  intellect,  covert  humour,  and  great  bene 
volence.  The  form  of  his  companion  was  literal 


14  THE    PIONEERS. 

1y  hid  beneath  the  multitude  and  variety  of  gar 
ments  which  she  wore.  There  were  furs  and  silks 
peeping  from  under  a  large  camlet  cloak,  with  a 
thick  flannel  lining,  that,  by  its  cut  and  size,  was 
evidently  intended  for  a  masculine  wearer.  A  huge 
hood  of  black  silk,  that  was  quilted  with  down, 
concealed  the  whole  of  her  head,  except  at  a  small 
opening  in  front  for  breath,  through  which  occa 
sionally  sparkled  a  pair  of  animated  eyes  of  the 
deepest  black. 

Both  the  father  and  daughter  (for  such  was  the 
connexion  between  the  travellers)  were  too  much 
occupied  with  their  different  reflections  to  break 
the  stillness,  that  received  little  or  no  interruption 
from  the  easy  gliding  of  the  sleigh,  by  the  sound 
of  their  voices.  The  former  was  thinking  of  the 
wife  that  had  held  this  their  only  child  fondly  to 
her  bosom,  when,  four  years  before,  she  had  re 
luctantly  consented  to  relinquish  the  society  of  her 
daughter,  in  order  that  the  latter  might  enjoy  th^ 
advantages  which  the  city  could  afford  to  her  edu 
cation.  A  few  months  afterward  death  had  de 
prived  him  of  the  remaining  companion  of  his  soli 
tude  ;  but  still  he  had  enough  of  real  regard  for  his 
child,  not  to  bring  her  into  the  comparative  wilder 
ness  in  which  he  dwelt,  until  the  full  period  had 
expired,  to  which  he  had  limited  her  juvenile  la 
bours.  The  reflections  of  the  daughter  were  less 
melancholy,  and  mingled  with  a  pleased  astonish 
ment  at  the  novel  scenery  that  she  met  at  every 
turn  in  the  road. 

The  mountain  on  which  they  were  journeying 
was  covered  with  pines,  that  rose  without  a  branch 
seventy  or  eighty  feet,  and  which  frequently  tow 
ered  to  an  additional  height,  that  more  than  eqiral- 
led  that  elevation.  Through  the  innumerable  vis 
tas  that  opened  beneath  the  lofty  trees  the  eye 


THE    FIONEERS  15 

could  penetrate,  until  it  was  met  by  a  distant  ine 
quality  in  the  ground,  or  was  stopped  by  a  view  of 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  which  lay  on  the  op 
posite  side  of  the  valley  to  W7hich  they  were  has 
tening.  The  dark  trunks  of  the  trees  rose  from  the 
pure  white  of  the  snow,  in  regularly  formed  shafts, 
until,  at  a  great  height,  their  branches  shot  forth 
their  horizontal  limbs,  that  were  covered  with  the 
meager  foliage  of  an  evergreen,  affording  a  melan 
choly  contrast  to  the  torpor  of  nature  belowT.  To 
the  travellers  there  seemed  to  be  no  wind  ;  but 
these  pines  waved  majestically  at  their  topmost 
boughs,  sending  forth  a  dull,  sighing  sound,  that 
was  quite  in  consonance  with  the  scene. 

The  sleigh  had  glided  for  some  distance  along 
the  even  surface,  and  the  gaze  of  the  female  was 
bent  in  inquisitive,  and,  perhaps,  timid  glances,  in 
to  the  recesses  of  the  forest,  which  were  lighted 
by  the  unsullied  covering  of  the  earth,  when  a  loud 
and  continued  howling  was  heard,  pealing  under 
the  long  arches  of  the  woods,  like  the  cry  of  a  nu 
merous  pack  of  hounds.  The  instant  the  sounds 
reached  the  ears  of  the  gentleman,  whatever  might 
aave  been  the  subject  of  his  meditations,  he  forgot 
it ;  for  he  cried  aloud  to  the  black — 

"  Hold  up,  Aggy ;  there  is  old  Hector ;  I  should 
know  his  bay  among  ten  thousand.  The  Leather- 
stocking  has  put  his  hounds  into  the  hills  this  clear 
day,  and  they  have  started  their  game,  you  hear. 
There  is  a  deer-track  a  few  rods  ahead  ; — and  now, 
Bess,  if  thou  canst  muster  courage  enough  to  stand 
fire,  I  will  give  thee  a  saddle  for  thy  Christmas 
dinner." 

The  black  drew  up,  with  a  cheerful  grin  upon 
his  chilled  features,  and  began  thrashing  his  arms 
together,  in  order  to  restore  the  circulation  to  his 
fingers,  while  the  speaker  stood  erect,  and,  throw- 


16  THE    PIONEERS. 

ing  aside  his  outer  covering,  stept  from  the  sleigh 
upon  a  bank  of  snow,  which  sustained  his  weight 
without  yielding  more  than  an  inch  or  two.  A 
storm  of  sleet  had  fallen  and  frozen  upon  the  sur 
face  a  few  days  before,  and  but  a  slight  snow  had 
occurred  since  to  purify,  without  weakening  its  co 
vering. 

In  a  few  moments  the  speaker  succeeded  in  ex 
tricating  a  double-barrelled  fowling-piece  from 
among  a  multitude  of  trunks  and  bandboxes.  Af 
ter  throwing  aside  the  thick  mittens  which  had  en 
cased  his  hands,  that  now  appeared  in  a  pair  of 
leather  gloves  tipped  with  fur,  he  examined  his 
priming,  and  was  about  to  move  forward,  when  the 
light  bounding  noise  of  an  animal  plunging  through 
the  Woods  was  heard,  and  directly  a  fine  buck 
darted  into  the  path,  a  short  distance  ahead  of  him. 
The  appearance  of  the  animal  was  sudden,  and  his 
flight  inconceivably  rapid ;  but  the  traveller  ap 
peared  to  be  too  keen  a  sportsman  to  be  discon 
certed  by  either.  As  it  came  first  into  view  he 
raised  the  fowling-piece  to  his  shoulder,  and,  with 
a  practised  eye  and  steady  hand,  drew  a  trigger ; 
but  the  deer  dashed  forward  undaunted,  and  ap 
parently  unhurt.  Without  lowering  his  piece,  the 
traveller  turned  its  muzzle  towards  his  intended 
victim,  and  fired  again.  Neither  discharge,  how 
ever,  seemed  to  have  taken  effect. 

The  whole  scene  had  passed  with  a  rapidity  that 
confused  the  female,  who  was  unconsciously  rejoic 
ing  in  the  escape  of  the  buck,  as  he  rather  darted 
like  a  meteor,  than  ran  across  the  road  before  her, 
when  a  sharp,  quick  sound  struck  her  ear,  quite 
different  from  the  full,  round  reports  of  her  father's 
gun,  but  still  sufficiently  distinct  to  be  known  as 
the  concussion  produced  by  fire-arms.  At  the  same 
instant  that  she  heard  this  unexpected  report,  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  17 

buck  sprang  from  the  snow,  to  a  great  height  in  the 
air,  and  directly  a  second  discharge,  similar  in 
sound  to  the  first,  followed,  when  the  animal  came 
to  the  earth,  falling  headlong,  and  rolling  over  on 
the  crust  once  or  twice  with  its  own  velocity.  A 
.  loud  shout  was  given  by  the  unseen  marksman,  as 
triumphing  in  his  better  aim ;  and  a  couple  of  men 
instantly  appeared  from  behind  the  trunks  of  two 
of  the  pines,  where  they  had  evidently  placed 
themselves  in  expectation  of  the  passage  of  the 
deer. 

"  Ha  !  Natty,  had  I  known  you  were  in  ambush, 
I  would  not  have  fired,"  cried  the  traveller,  mov 
ing  towards  the  spot  where  the  deer  lay — near  to 
which  he  was  followed  by  the  delighted  black, 
with  the  sleigh ;  "  but  the  sound  of  old  Hector 
was  too  exhilarating  to  let  me  be  quiet ;  though 
I  hardly  think  I  struck  him  either." 

"  No — no — Judge,"  returned  the  hunter,  with 
an  inward  chuckle,  and  with  that  look  of  exulta 
tion,  that  indicates  a  consciousness  of  superior 
skill ;  "  you  burnt  your  powder,  only  to  warm 
your  nose  this  cold  evening.  Did  ye  think  to  stop 
a  full  grown  buck,  with  Hector  and  the  slut  open 
upon  him,  within  sound,  with  that  robin  pop-gun 
in  your  hand  ?  There's  plenty  of  pheasants  among 
the  swamps ;  and  the  snow  birds  are  flying  round 
your  own  door,  where  you  may  feed  them  with 
crumbs,  and  shoot  enough  for  a  pot-pie,  any  day ; 
but  if  you're  for  a  buck,  or  a  little  bear's  meat, 
Judge,  you'll  have  to  take  the  long  rifle,  with  a 
greased  wadding,  or  you'll  waste  more  powder 
than  you'll  fill  stomachs,  I'm  thinking." 

As  the  speaker  concluded,  he  drew  his  bare 
hand  across  the  bottom  of  his  nose,  and  again 
opened  his  enormous  mouth  with  a  kind  of  inward 
laugh. 


18  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  The  gun  scatters  well,  Natty,  and  has  killed  a 
deer  before  now,"  said  the  traveller,  smiling  good 
humouredly.  "  One  barrel  was  charged  with  buck 
shot ;  but  the  other  was  loaded  for  birds  only 
Here  are  two  hurts  that  he  has  received ;  one 
through  his  neck,  and  the  other  directly  through 
his  heart.  It  is  by  no  means  certain,  Natty,  but  I 
gave  him  one  of  the  two." 

"  Let  who  will  kill  him,"  said  the  hunter,  rather 
surlily,  "  I  suppose  the  cretur  is  to  be  eaten."  So 
saying,  he  drew  a  large  knife  from  a  leathern  sheath, 
which  was  stuck  through  his  girdle  or  sash,  and 
cut  the  throat  of  the  animal.  "  If  there  is  two 
balls  through  the  deer,  I  want  to  know  if  there 
wasn't  two  rifles  fired — besides,  who  ever  saw  such 
a  ragged  hole  from  a  smooth-bore,  as  this  is  through 
the  neck  ? — and  you  will  own  yourself,  Judge,  that 
the  buck  fell  at  the  last  shot,  which  was  sent  from 
a  truer  and  a  younger  hand,  than  your'n  or  mine 
'ither  ;  but  for  my  part,  although  I  am  a  poor  man, 
I  can  live  without  the  venison,  but  I  don't  love  to 
give  up  my  lawful  dues  in  a  free  country.  Though, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  might  often  makes  right 
here,  as  well  as  in  the  old  country,  for  what  I  can 
see." 

An  air  of  sullen  dissatisfaction  pervaded  the 
manner  of  the  hunter  during  the  whole  of  this 
speech;  yet  he  thought  it  prudent  to  utter  the 
close  of  the  sentence  in  such  an  under  tone,  as  to 
leave  nothing  audible  but  the  grumbling  sounds  of 
his  voice. 

"  Nay,  Natty,"  rejoined  the  traveller,  with  un 
disturbed  good  humour,  "  it  is  for  the  honour  that 
I  contend.  A  few  dollars  will  pay  for  the  veni 
son  ;  but  what  will  requite  me  for  the  lost  honour 
of  a  buck's  tail  in  my  cap  ?  Think,  Natty,  how  I 
should  triumph  over  that  quizzing  dog,  Dick  Jones, 


THE    PIONEERS. 

who  has  failed  seven  times  this  season  already,  and 
has  only  brought  in  one  wood-chuck  and  a  few 
gray  squirrels." 

"  Ah  !  the  game  is  becoming  hard  to  find,  in 
deed,  Judge,  with  your  clearings  and  betterments," 
said  the  old  hunter,  with  a  kind  of  disdainful  re 
signation.  "  The  time  has  been,  when  I  have  shot 
thirteen  deer,  without  counting  the  fa'ns,  standing 
in  the  door  of  my  own  hut ! — and  for  bear's  meat, 
if  one  wanted  a  ham  or  so  from  the  cretur,  he  had 
only  to  watch  a-nights,  and  he  could  shoot  one  by 
moonlight,  through  the  cracks  of  the  logs ;  no  fear 
of  his  over-sleeping  himself,  n'ither,  for  the  howl 
ing  of  the  wolves  was  sartin  to  keep  his  eyes  open. 
There's  old  Hector," — patting  with  affection  a  tall 
hound,  of  black  and  yellow  spots,  with  white  bel 
ly  and  legs,  that  just  then  came  in  on  the  scent,  ac 
companied  by  the  slut  he  had  mentioned ;  "  see 
where  the  wolves  bit  his  throat,  the  night  I  druve 
them  from  the  venison  I  was  smoking  on  the  chiin- 
bly  top — that  dog  is  more  to  be  trusted  nor  many 
a  Christian  man  ;  for  he  never  forgets  a  friend,  and 
loves  the  hand  that  gives  him  bread." 

There  was  a  peculiarity  in  the  manner  of  the 
hunter,  that  struck  the  notice  of  the  young  female, 
who  had  been  a  close  and  interested  observer  of 
his  appearance  and  equipments,  from  the  moment 
he  first  came  into  view.  He  was  tall,  and  so  mea 
gre  as  to  make  him  seem  above  even  the  six  feet 
that  he  actually  stood  in  his  stockings.  On  his 
head,  which  was  thinly  covered  with  lank,  sandy 
hair,  he  wore  a  cap  made  of  fox-skin,  resembling 
in  shape  the  one  we  have  already  described,  al 
though  much  inferior  in  finish  and  crnaments.  His 
face  was  skinny,  and  thin  almost  to  emaciation ; 
but  yet  bore  no  signs  of  disease ; — on  the  contrary, 
it  had  every  indication  of  the  most  robust  and  en- 


20  THE    PIONEERS. 

during  health.  The  cold  and  the  exposure 
together,  given  it  a  colour  of  uniform  red  ;  his  gray 
eyes  were  glancing  under  a  pair  of  shaggy  brows, 
that  overhung  them  in  long  hairs  of  gray  mingled 
with  their  natural  hue  ;  his  scraggy  neck  was  bare, 
and  burnt  to  the  same  tint  with  his  face  ;  though 
a  small  part  of  a  shirt  collar,  made  of  the  country 
check,  was  to  be  seen  above  the  over-dress  he 
wore.  A  kind  of  coat,  made  of  dressed  deer-skin, 
with  the  hair  on,  was  belted  close  to  his  lank  body, 
by  a  girdle  of  coloured  worsted.  On  his  feet  were 
deer-skin  moccasins,  ornamented  with  porcupines' 
quills,  after  the  manner  of  the  Indians,  and  his  limbs 
were  guarded  with  long  leggings  of  the  same  ma 
terial  as  the  moccasins,  which,  gartering  over  the 
knees  of  his  tarnished  buck-skin  breeches,  had  ob 
tained  for  him,  among  the  settlers,  the  nick-name 
of  Leather-stocking,  notwithstanding  his  legs  were 
protected  beneath,  in  winter,  by  thick  garments  of 
woollen,  duly  made  of  good  blue  yarn.  Over  his 
left  shoulder  was  slung  a  belt  of  deer-skin,  from 
which  depended  an  enormous  ox  horn,  so  thinly 
scraped,  as  to  discover  the  dark  powder  that  it  con 
tained.  The  larger  end  was  fitted  ingeniously  and 
securely  with  a  wooden  bottom,  and  the  other  was 
stopped  tight  by  a  little  plug.  A  leathern  pouch 
hung  before  him,  from  which,  as  he  concluded  his 
last  speech,  he  took  a  small  measure,  and,  filling  it 
accurately  with  powder,  he  commenced  reloading 
the  rifle,  which,  as  its  butt  rested  on  the  snow  be 
fore  him,  reached  nearly  to  the  top  of  his  fox-skin 
cap. 

The  traveller  had  been  closely  examining  the 
wounds  during  these  movements,  and  now,  with 
out  heeding  the  ill-humour  of  the  hunter's  man 
ner,  exclaimed — 

"  I  would  fain  establish  a  right,  Natty,  to  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  21 

honour  of  this  capture  ;  and  surely  if  the  hit  in  the 
neck  be  mine,  it  is  enough ;  for  the  shot  in  the 
heart  was  unnecessary — what  we  call  an  act  of  su 
pererogation,  Leather-stocking." 

"  You  may  call  it  by  what  lamed  name  you 
please,  Judge,"  said  the  hunter,  throwing  his  rifle 
across  his  left  arm,  and  knocking  up  a  brass  lid 
in  the  breech,  from  which  he  took  a  small  piece  of 
greased  leather,  and  wrapping  a  ball  in  it,  forced 
them  down  by  main  strength  on  the  powder,  where 
he  continued  to  pound  them  while  speaking.  "  It's 
far  easier  to  call  names,  than  to  shoot  a  buck  on 
the  spring  ;  but  the  cretur  come  by  his  end  from 
a  younger  hand  than  'ither  your'n  or  mine,  as  I 
said  before." 

"  What  say  you,  my  friend,"  cried  the  traveller, 
turm'ng  pleasantly  to  Natty's  companion;  "  shall 
we  toss  up  this  dollar  for  the  honour,  and  you  keep 
the  silver  if  you  lose  ;  what  say  you,  friend  ?" 

"  That  I  killed  the  deer,"  answered  the  young 
man,  with  a  little  haughtiness,  as  he  leaned  on 
another  long  rifle,  similar  to  that  of  Natty's. 

"  Here  are  two  to  one,  indeed,"  replied  the 
Judge,  with  a  smile  ;  "  I  am  outvoted — overruled, 
as  we  say  on  the  bench.  There  is  Aggy,  he  can't 
vote,  being  a  slave  ;  and  Bess  is  a  minor— so  I 
must  even  make  the  best  of  it.  But  you'll  sell 
me  the  venison ;  and  the  deuce  is  in  it,  but  I  make 
a  good  story  about  its  death." 

"  The  meat  is  none  of  mine  to  sell,"  said  Lea 
ther-stocking,  adopting  a  little  of  his  companion's 
hauteur ;  "  for  my  part,  I  have  known  animals 
travel  days  with  shots  in  the  neck,  and  I'm  none 
of  them  who'll  rob  a  man  of  his  rightful  dues." 

"  You  are  tenacious  of  your  rights,  this  cold  eve 
ning,  Natty,"  returned  the  Judge,  with  unconquer- 


ZZ  THE    PIONEERS. 

able  good  nature ;  "  but  what  say  you,  young 
man,  will  three  dollars  pay  you  for  the  buck  ?" 

"  First  let  us  determine  the  question  of  right  to 
the  satisfaction  of  us  both,"  said  the  youth,  firmly 
but  respectfully,  and  with  a  pronunciation  and  lan 
guage  vastly  superior  ,to  his  appearance  ;  "  with 
how  many  shot  did  you  load  your  gun  ?" 

"  With  five,  sir,"  said  the  Judge,  gravely,  a  lit 
tle  struck  with  the  other's  manner  ;  "  are  they  not 
enough  to  slay  a  buck  like  this  ?" 

"  One  would  do  it ;  but,"  moving  to  the  tree 
from  behind  which  he  had  appeared,  "you  know, 
sir,  you  fired  in  this  direction — here  are  four  of 
the  bullets  in  the  tree." 

The  Judge  examined  the  fresh  marks  in  the 
rough  bark  of  the  pine,  and  shaking  his  head,  said 
with  a  laugh —  m 

"  You  are  making  out  the  case  against  yourself, 
my  young  advocate — where  is  the  fifth  ?" 

"  Here,"  said  the  youth,  throwing  aside  the  rough 
over-coat  that  he  wore,  and  exhibiting  a  hole  in 
his  under  garment,  through  which  large  drops  of 
blood  were  oozing. 

"  Good  God  !"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  with  hor 
ror  ;  "  have  I  been  trifling  here  about  an  empty 
distinction,  and  a  fellow-creature  suffering  from  my 
hands  without  a  murmur  ?  But  hasten — quick — 
get  into  my  sleigh — it  is  but  a  mile  to  the  village, 
where  surgical  aid  can  be  obtained  ; — all  shall  be 
done  at  my  expense,  and  thou  shalt  live  with  me 
until  thy  wound  is  healed — ay,  and  for  ever  after 
wards,  too." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  good  intention,  but 
must  decline  your  offer.  I  have  a  friend  who 
would  be  uneasy  were  he  to  hear  that  I  am  hurt 
and  away  from  him.  The  injury  is  but  slight,  and 


THE    PIONEERS.  23 

the  bullet  has  missed  the  hones ;  but  I  believe,  sir, 
you  will  now  admit  my  title  to  the  venison." 

"  Admit  it !"  repeated  the  agitated  Judge ;  "  I 
here  give  thee  a  right  to  shoot  deer,  or  bears,  or 
any  thing  thou  pleasest  in  my  woods,  for  ever. 
Leather-stocking  is  the  only  other  man  that  I  have 
granted  the  same  privilege  to ;  and  the  time  is 
coming  when  it  will  be  of  value.  But  I  buy  your 
deer — here,  this  bill  will  pay  thee,  both  for  thy 
shot  and  my  own." 

The  old  hunter  gathered  his  tall  person  up  into 
an  air  of  pride,  during  this  dialogue,  and  now  mut 
tered  in  an  undej  tone — 

"  There's  them  living  who  say,  that  Nathaniel 
Bumppo's  right  to  shoot  in  these  hills,  is  of  older 
date  than  Marmaduke  Temple's  right  to  forbid  him. 
But  if  there's  a  law  about  it  at  all,  though  who 
ever  heard  tell  of  a  law  that  a  man  should'nt  kill 
deer  where  he  pleased  ! — but  if  there  is  a  law  at 
all,  it  should  be  to  keep  people  from  the  use  of 
them  smooth-bores.  A  body  never  knows  where 
his  lead  will  fly,  when  he  pulls  the  trigger  of  one 
of  them  fancified  fire-arms." 

Without  attending  to  the  soliloquy  of  Natty,  the 
youth  bowed  his  head  silently  to  the  offer  of  the 
bank  note,  and  replied — 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,  I  have  need  of  the  venison." 

"  But  this  will  buy  you  many  deer,"  said  the 
Judge  ;  "  take  it,  I  entreat  you,"  and  lowering  his 
voice  to  nearly  a  whisper,  he  added — "  it  is  for  a 
hundred  dollars." 

For  an  instant  only,  the  youth  seemed  to  hesi 
tate,  and  then,  blushing  even  through  the  high  co 
lour  that  the  cold  had  given  to  his  cheeks,  as  if 
with  inward  shame  at  his  own  weakness,  he  again 
proudly  declined  the  offer. 

During  this  scene  the  female  arose,  and,  regard- 


24  THE    PIONEERS. 

less  of  the  cold  air,  she  threw  back  the  hood  which 
concealed  her  features,  and  now  spoke,  with  great 
earnestness — • 

"  Surely,  surely, — young  man — sir — you  would 
not  pain  my  father  so  much,  as  to  have  him  think 
that  he  leaves  a  fellow-creature  in  this  wilderness, 
whom  his  own  hand  has  injured.  I  entreat  you 
will  go  with  us  and  receive  medical  aid  for  your 
hurts." 

Whether  his  wound  became  more  painful,  or, 
there  was  something  irresistible  in  the  voice  and 
manner  of  the  fair  pleader  for  her  father's  feelings, 
we  know  not,  but  the  haughty  Distance  of  the 
young  man's  manner  was  sensibly  softened  by  this 
appeal,  and  he  stood,  in  apparent  doubt,  as  if  re 
luctant  to  comply  with,  and  yet  unwilling  to  refuse 
her  request.  The  judge,  for  such  being  his  office, 
must  in  future  be  his  title,  watched,  with  no  little 
interest,  the  display  of  this  singular  contention  in 
the  feelings  of  the  youth,  and  advancing,  kindly 
took  his  hand,  and,  as  he  pulled  him  gently  to 
wards  the  sleigh,  urged  him  to  enter  it. 

"  There  is  no  human  aid  nearer  than  Temple- 
ton,"  he  said  ;  "  and  the  hut  of  Natty  is  full  three 
miles  from  this  ; — come — come,  my  young  friend, 
go  with  us,  and  let  the  new  doctor  look  to  this 
shoulder  of  thine.  Here  is  Natty  will  take  the 
tidings  of  thy  welfare  to  thy  friend ;  and  should'st 
thou  require  it,  thou  shalt  be  returned  to  thy  home 
in  the  morning." 

The  young  man  succeeded  in  extricating  his  hand 
from  the  warm  grasp  of  the  judge,  but  continued  to 
gaze  on  the  face  of  the  female,  who,  regardless  of 
the  cold,  was  still  standing  with  her  fine  features 
exposed,  which  expressed  feelings  that  eloquently 
seconded  the  request  of  her  father.  Leather- 
stocking  stood,  in  the  mean  time,  leaning  upon  his 


THE    PIONEERS.  25 

long  rifle,  with  his  head  turned  a  little  to  one  side, 
as  if  engaged  in  deep  and  sagacious  musing ;  when, 
having  apparently  satisfied  his  doubts,  by  revolving 
the  subject  in  his  mind,  he  broke  silence — 

"  It  may  be  best  to  go,  lad,  after  all ;  for  if  the 
shot  hangs  under  the  skin,  my  hand  is  getting  too 
old  to  be  cutting  into  human  flesh,  as  I  once  used 
to.  Though  some  thirty  years  agone,  in  the  old 
war,  when  I  was  out  under  Sir  William,  I  travel 
led  seventy  miles  alone  in  the  howling  wilder 
ness,  with  a  rifle  bullet  in  my  thigh,  and  then  cut 
it  out  with  my  own  jack-knife.  Old  Indian  John 
knows  the  time  well.  I  met  him  with  a  party  of 
the  Delawares,  on  the  trail  of  the  Iroquois,  who 
had  been  down  and  taken  five  scalps  on  the  Scho- 
harie.  But  I  made  a  mark  on  the  red-skin  that  PH 
warrant  he  carried  to  his  grave.  I  took  him  on  his 
posteerum,  saving  the  lady's  presence,  as  he  got 
up  from  the  amboosh,  and  rattled  three  buck  shot 
into  his  naked  hide,  so  close,  that  you  might  have 
laid  a  broad  joe  upon  them  all — J1  here  Natty 
stretched  out  his  long  neck,  and  straightened  his 
body,  as  he  opened  his  mouth,  which  exposed  a 
single  tusk  of  yellow  bone,  while  his  eyes,  his  face, 
even  his  whole  frame,  seemed  to  laugh,  although 
no  sound  was  emitted,  except  a  kind  of  thick  hiss 
ing,  as  he  inhaled  his  breath  in  quavers.  "  I  had 
lost  my  bullet  mould  in  crossing  the  Oneida  outlet, 
and  so  had  to  make  shift  with  the  buck  shot ;  but 
the  rifle  was  true,  and  did'nt  scatter  like  your  two- 
legged  thing  there,  Judge,  which  don't  do,  I  find, 
to  hunt  in  company  with." 

Natty's  apology  to  the  delicacy  of  the  young  lady 
was  unnecessary,  for,  while  he  was  speaking,  she 
was  too  much  employed  in  helping  her  father  to 
remove  certain  articles  of  their  baggage  to  hear 
him.  Unable  to  resist  the  kind  urgency  of  the 
3 


26  THE    PIONEERS. 

travellers  any  longer,  the  youth,  though  still  with 
an  unaccountable  reluctance  expressed  in  his  man 
ner,  suffered  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  enter  the 
sleigh.  The  black,  with  the  aid  of  his  master, 
threw  the  buck  across  the  baggage,  and  entering 
the  vehicle  themselves,  the  judge  invited  the  hunter 
to  do  so  likewise. 

"  No — no — "  said  the  old  man,  shaking  his 
head  ;  "  I  have  work  to  do  at  home  this  Christmas 
eve — drive  on  with  the  boy,  and  let  your  doctor 
look  to  the  shoulder ;  though  if  he  will  only  cut 
out  the  shot,  I  have  yarbs  that  will  heal  the  wound 
quicker  nor  all  his  foreign  'intments."  He  turned 
and  was  about  to  move  off,  when,  suddenly  recol- 
"ecting  himself,  he  again  faced  the  party,  and  added 
— "  If  you  see  any  thing  of  Indian  John  about  the 
foot  of  the  lake,  you  had  better  take  him  with  you, 
and  let  him  lend  the  doctor  a  hand  ;  for  old  as  he 
is,  he  is  curious  at  cuts  and  bruises,  and  it's  like 
lier  than  not  he'll  be  in  with  brooms  to  sweep  your 
Christinas  ha'arths." 

"  Stop — stop,"  cried  the  youth,  catching  the 
arm  of  the  black  as  he  prepared  to  urge  his  horses 
forward  ;  "  Natty — you  need  say  nothing  of  the 
shot,  nor  of  where  I  am  going — remember,  Natty, 
as  you  love  me." 

"  Trust  old  Leather-stocking,"  returned  the 
hunter,  significantly  ;  "  he  has'nt  lived  forty  years 
in  the  wilderness,  and  not  larnt  from  the  savag.es 
how  to  hold  his  tongue — trust  to  me,  lad ;  and  re 
member  old  Indian  John." 

"  And,  Natty,"  said  the  youth  eagerly,  still 
holding  the  black  by  the  arm,  "  I  will  just  get  the 
shot  extracted,  and  bring  you  ap,  to-night,  a  quar 
ter  of  the  buck,  for  the  Christmas  dinner." 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  hunter,  who  held  up 
his  finger  with  an  expressive  gesture  for  silence, 


THE    PION~r~~,  21 


and  moved  softly  along  the  margin  of  the  road, 
kecking  his  eyes  steadfastly  fixed  on  the  branches 
of  a  pine  near  him.  When  he  had  obtained  such 
a  position  as  he  wished,  he  stopped,  and  cocking 
his  rifle,  threw  one  leg  far  behind  him,  and  stretch 
ing  his  left  arm  to  its  utmost  extent  along  the  bar 
rel  of  his  piece,  he  began  slowly  to  raise  its  muz 
zle  in  a  line  with  the  straight  trunk  uf  the  tree. 
The  eyes  of  the  group  in  the  sleigh  naturally  pre 
ceded  the  movement  of  the  rifle,  and  they  soon 
discovered  the  object  of  Natty  's  aim.  On  a  small 
dead  branch  of  the  pine,  which,  at  the  distance  of 
seventy  feet  from  the  ground,  shot  out  horizontal 
ly,  immediately  beneath  the  living  members  of  the 
tree,  sat  a  bird,  that  in  the  vulgar  language  of  the 
country  was  indiscriminately  called  a  pheasant 
or  a  partridge.  In  size,  it  was  but  little  smaller 
than  a  common  barn-yard  fowl.  The  baying  of 
the  dogs,  and  the  conversation  that  had  passed 
near  the  root  of  the  tree  on  which  it  was  perched, 
had  alarmed  the  bird,  which  was  now  drawn  up 
near  the  body  of  the  pine,  with  a  head  and  neck 
erect,  that  formed  nearly  a  straight  line  with  its 
legs.  So  soon  as  the  rifle  bore  on  the  victim, 
Natty  drew  his  trigger,  and  the  partridge  fell  from 
its  height  with  a  force  that  buried  it  in  the  snow. 

"  Lie  down,  you  old  villain,"  exclaimed  Lea 
ther-stocking,  shaking  his  ramrod  at  Hector  as  he 
bounded  towards  the  foot  of  the  tree,  "  lie  down, 
I  say."  The  dog  obeyed,  and  Natty  proceeded, 
with  great  rapidity,  though  with  the  nicest  accu 
racy,  to  reload  his  piece.  When  this  was  ended, 
he  took  up  his  game,  and  showing  it  to  the  party 
without  a  head,  he  cried  —  "  Here  is  a  nice  tit-bit 
for  an  old  man's  Christmas  —  never  mind  the  veni 
son,  boy,  and  remember  Indian  John  ;  his  yarbs 
are  better  nor  all  the  foreign  'intments.  Here, 


28  THE    PIONEERS. 

Judge,"  holding  up  the  bird  again,  "  do  you  think 
a  smooth-bore  wTould  pick  game  off  their  roost,  and 
not  ruffle  a  feather  ?"  The  old  man  gave  another 
ol  his  remarkable  laughs,  which  partook  so  largely 
of  exultation,  mirth,  and  irony,  and  shaking  his 
head,  he  turned,  with  his  rifle  at  a  trail,  and 
moved  into  the  forest  with  short  and  quick  steps, 
that  were  between  a  walk  and  a  trot.  At  each 
movement  that  he  made  his  body  lowered  several 
inches,  his  knees  yielding  with  an  inclination  in 
ward  ;  but  as  the  sleigh  turned  at  a  bend  in  the 
road,  the  youth  cast  his  eyes  in  quest  of  his  old 
companion,  and  he  saw  that  he  was  already  nearly 
concealed  by  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  while  his  dogs 
were  following  quietly  in  his  footsteps,  occasionally 
scenting  the  deer  track,  that  they  seemed  to  know 
instinctively  was  now  of  no  further  use  to  them. 
Another  jerk  was  given  to  the  sleigh,  and  Leather- 
stocking  was  hidden  from  view. 


CHAPTER  II. 


AH  places  that  the  eye  of  Heaven  visits, 
Are  to  a  wise  man  ports  and  happy  havens  :— 
Think  not  the  king  did  banish  thee  : 

But  thou  the  king. — 

Richard  II. 


AN  ancestor  of  Marmaduke  Temple  had,  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  years  before  the  commence 
ment  of  our  tale,  come  to  the  colony  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  a  friend  and  co-religionist  of  its  great  patron. 
Old  Marmaduke,  for  this  formidable  prenomen  was 
a  kind  of  appellative  to  the  race,  brought  with  him, 
to  that  asylum  of  the  persecuted,  an  abundance  of 
the  good  things  of  this  life.  He  became  the  mas 
ter  of  many  thousands  of  acres  of  uninhabited  ter 
ritory,  and  the  supporter  of  many  a  score  of  de 
fendants.  He  lived  greatly  respected  for  his  piety, 
and  not  a  little  distinguished  as  a  sectary  :  was  in 
trusted  by  his  associates  with  many  important  po 
litical  stations;  and  died  just  in  time  to  escape  the 
knowledge  of  his  own  poverty.  It  was  his  lot  to 
share  the  fortune  of  most  of  those  who  brought 
wealth  with  them  into  the  new  settlements  of  the 
middle  colonies. 

The  consequence  of  an  emigrant  into  these  pro 
vinces  was  generally  to  be  ascertained  by  the  num 
ber  of  his  white  servants  or  dependants,  and  the 
nature  of  the  public  situations  that  he  held.  Tak 
ing  this  rule  as  a  guide,  the  ancestor  of  our  Judge 
must  have  been  a  man  of  no  little  note. 


SO  THE    PIONEERS. 

It  is,  however,  a  subject  of  curious  inquiry  at  the 
present  day,  to  look  into  the" brief  records  of  that 
early  period,  and  observe  how  regular,  and  with 
few  exceptions  how  inevitable,  were  the  gradations, 
on  the  one  hand,  of  the  masters  to  poverty,  and 
on  the  other,  of  their  servants  to  wealth.  Accus 
tomed  to  ease,  and  unequal  to  the  struggles  inci 
dent  to  an  infant  society,  the  affluent  emigrant  was 
barely  enabled  to  maintain  his  own  rank,  by  the 
weight  of  his  personal  superiority  and  acquire 
ments  ;  but  the  moment  that  his  head  was  laid  in 
the  grave,  his  indolent,  and  comparatively  unedu 
cated  offspring,  were  compelled  to  yield  prece 
dency  to  the  more  active  energies  of  a  class,  whose 
exertions  had  been  stimulated  by  necessity.  This 
is  a  very  common  course  of  things,  even  in  the 
present  state  of  the  Union ;  but  it  was  peculiarly 
the  fortunes  of  the  two  extremes  of  society,  in  the 
peaceful  and  unenterprising  colonies  of  Pennsyl 
vania  and  New-Jersey. 

The  posterity  of  Marmaduke  did  not  escape  the 
common  lot  of  those,  who  depended  rather  on  their 
hereditary  possessions  than  on  their  own  powers  ; 
and  in  the  third  generation,  they  had  descended  to 
a  point,  below  which,  in  this  happy  country,  it  is 
barely  possible  for  honesty,  intellect,  and  sobriety, 
to  fall.  The  same  pride  of  family  that  had,  by  its 
self-satisfied  indolence,  conduced  to  aid  their  fall, 
now  became  a  principle  to  stimulate  them  to  en 
deavour  to  rise  again.  The  feeling,  from  being 
morbid  was  ch  anged  to  a  healthful  and  active  de 
sire  to  emulate  the  character,  the  condition,  and 
peradventure,  the  wealth,  of  their  ancestors  also. 
It  was  the  father  of  our  new  acquaintance,  the 
Judge,  who  first  began  to  re-ascend  the  scale  of 
society  :  and  in  this  undertaking  he  was  not  a  little 
assisted  by  a  marriage  that  he  formed,  which  aided 


THE    PIONEERS.  31 

greatly  in  furnishing  the  means  of  educating  his 
only  son,  in  a  rather  better  manner  than  the  low 
state  of  the  common  schools  in  Pennsylvania  could 
promise  ;  or  than  had  been  the  practice  in  the 
family,  for  the  two  or  three  preceding  generations. 

At  the  school  where  the  reviving  prosperity  of 
his  father  was  enabled  to  maintain  him,  young 
Marmaduke  formed  an  intimacy  with  a  youth, 
whose  years  were  about  equal  to  his  own.  This 
was  a  fortunate  connexion  for  our  judge,  and 
paved  the  way  to  most  of  his  future  elevation  in 
life,  when  the  early  inclination  for  each  other  in 
the  boys  was  matured  into  friendship. 

There  was  not  only  great  wealth,  but  high  court 
interest,  among  the  connexions  of  Edward  Effing- 
ham.  They  were  one  of  the  very  few  families, 
then  resident  in  the  colonies,  who  thought  it  a  de 
gradation  to  its  members  to  descend  to  the  pursuits 
of  commerce  :  and  who  never  emerged  from  the 
privacy  of  their  domestic  life,  unless  to  preside  in 
the  councils  of  the  colony,  or  to  bear  arms  in  her  de 
fence.  The  latter  had,  from  youth  to  approaching 
age,  been  the  only  employment  of  Edward's  father. 
Military  rank,  under  the  crown  of  Great  Britain, 
was,  sixty  years  ago,  attained  with  much  longer 
probation,  and  by  much  more  toilsome  services, 
than  at  the  present  time.  Years  were  passed 
without  murmuring,  in  the  subordinate  grades  of  the 
service ;  and  those  soldiers  who  were  stationed  in 
the  colonies,  felt,  when  they  obtained  the  command 
of  a  company,  that  they  were  entitled  to  receive, 
the  greatest  deference  from  the  peaceful  occupants 
of  the  soil.  Any  one  of  our  readers,  who  in  a 
visit  to  the  falls,  has  occasion  to  cross  the  Niagara, 
by  spending  a  day  at  Newark,  may  easily  observe, 
not  only  the  self-importance,  but  the  real  estima 
tion  enjoyed  by  the  humblest  representative  of  the 


OZ  THE    PIONEERS. 

crown,  even  in  that  polar  region  of  royal  sunshine. 
Such,  and  at  no  very  distant  period,  was  the  re 
spect  paid  to  the  military  in  these  States,  where 
now,  happily,  no  symbol  of  war  is  ever  seen,  un 
less  at  the  free  and  fearless  voice  of  their  peo 
ple.  When,  therefore,  the  father  of  Marmaduke's 
friend,  after  forty  years'  service,  retired  with  the 
rank  of  Major,  maintaining  in  his  domestic  establish 
ment  a  comparative  splendour,  it  is  not  be  doubted 
but  that  he  became  a  man  of  the  first  consideration 
iti  his  native  colony — which  was  that  of  New- 
1  ork.  He  had  served  with  fidelity  and  courage, 
and  having  been,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
provinces,  intrusted  with  commands  much  superior 
to  those  to  which  he  was  entitled  by  rank,  with 
reputation  also.  When  Major  Effingham  yielded 
to  the  claims  of  age,  he  retired  with  dignity,  re 
fusing  his  half-pay  or  any  other  compensation  for 
services,  that  he  felt  he  could  no  longer  perform. 

The  ministry  proffered  to  his  acceptance  various 
civil  offices,  which  yielded  not  only  honour  but  pro 
fit  ;  but  he  declined  them  all,  with  the  chivalrous 
independence  and  loyalty  that  had  marked  his 
character  through  life.  The  veteran  soon  caused 
this  act  of  patriotic  disinterestedness  to  be  follow 
ed  by  another  of  private  munificence,  that,  how 
ever  little  it  accorded  with  prudence,  was  in  per 
fect  conformity  wTith  the  simple  integrity  of  his 
own  views. 

The  friend  of  Marmaduke  was  his  only  child ; 
and  to  this  son,  on  his  marriage  with  a  lady  to 
whom  the  father  was  particularly  partial,  the  Ma 
jor  gave  a  complete  conveyance  of  his  whole 
estate,  consisting  of  moneys  in  the  funds,  a  town 
and  country  residence,  sundry  valuable  farms  in 
the  old  parts  of  the  colony,  and  large  tracts  of 
wild  land  in  the  new — in  this  manner  throwing 

•^N** 


THE   PIONEERS.  33 

himself  upon  the  filial  piety  of  his  child  for  his 
own  future  maintenance.  Major  Effingham,  in 
declining  the  liberal  offers  of  the  British  ministry, 
had  subjected  himself  to  the  suspicion  of  having 
attained  his  dotage,  by  all  those  who  throng  the 
avenues  to  court  patronage,  even  in  the  remotest 
corners  of  that  vast  empire  ;  but,  when  he  thus 
voluntarily  stript  himself  of  his  great  personal 
wealth,  the  remainder  of  the  community  seemed 
instinctively  to  adopt  the  conclusion  also,  that 
he  had  reached  a  second  childhood.  This  may 
explain  the  fact  of  his  importance  rapidly  declin 
ing  ;  and,  if  privacy  was  his  object,  the  veteran 
had  soon  a  free  indulgence  of  his  wishes.  What 
ever  views  the  world  might  entertain  of  this  act 
of  the  Major,  to  himself  and  to  his  child,  it  seem 
ed  no  more  than  a  natural  gift  by  a  father,  of  those 
immunities  which  he  could  no  longer  enjoy  or  im 
prove,  to  a  son,  who  was  formed,  both  by  nature 
and  education,  to  do  both.  The  younger  Effing- 
ham  did  not  object  to  the  amount  of  the  donation ; 
for  he  felt  that  while  his  parent  reserved  a  moral 
control  over  his  actions,  he  was  relieving  himself 
from  a  fatiguing  burthen  :  such,  indeed,  was  the 
confidence  existing  between  them,  that  to  neither 
did  it  seem  any  thing  more,  than  removing  money 
from  one  pocket  to  another. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  young  man,  on  com 
ing  into  possession  of  his  wealth,  was  to  seek  his 
early  friend,  with  a  view  to  offer  any  assistance, 
that  it  was  now  in  his  power  to  bestow. 

The  death  of  Marmaduke's  father,  and  the  con 
sequent  division  of  his  small  estate,  rendered  such 
an  offer  extremely  acceptable  to  the  young  Penn- 
eylvanian  :  he  felt  his  own  powers,  and  saw,  not 
only  the  excellences,  but  the  foibles,  in  the  cha 
racter  of  his  friend.  Effingham  was  by  nature  in- 


34  THE   PIONEERS. 

dolent,  confiding,  and  at  times  impetuous  and  indis 
creet  ;  but  Marmaduke  was  uniformly  equable,  pene-*" 
trating,  and  full  of  activity  and  enterprise.  To  the 
latter,  therefore,  the  assistance,  or  rather  connexion 
that  was  proffered  to  him,  seemed  to  promise  a 
mutual  advantage.  It  was  cheerfully  accepted,  and  the 
arrangement  of  its  conditions  left  entirely  to  the  dic 
tates  of  his  own  judgment.  A  mercantile  house  was 
established  in  the  metropolis  of  Pennsylvania,  with  the 
avails  of  Mr  Effingham's  personal  property;  all,  or 
nearly  all,  of  which  was  put  into  the  possession  of  Tem 
ple,  who  was  the  only  ostensible  proprietor  in  the  con 
cern,  while,  in  secret,  the  other  was  entitled  to  an  equal 
participation  in  the  profits.  This  connexion  was  thus 
kept  private  for  two  reasons;  one  of  which,  in  the 
freedom  of  their  intercourse,  was  frankly  avowed  to 
Marmaduke,  while  the  other  continued  profoundly  hid 
in  the  bosom  of  his  friend.  The  last  was  nothing  more 
than  pride.  To  the  descendant  of  a  line  of  soldiers, 
commerce,  even  in  that  indirect  manner,  seemed  a  de 
grading  pursuit;  and  every  sentiment  of  young  Ef- 
fingham  was  opposed  to  the  acknowledgment  of  ^ju 
arrangement,  which  he  only  reconciled  to  his  private 
feelings,  by  a  knowledge  of  his  own  motives — but  an 
insuperable  obstacle  to  the  disclosure  existed  in  the 
prejudices  of  his  father. 

We  have  already  said  that  Major  Effingham  had 
served  as  a  soldier  with  reputation.  On  one  occasion, 
while  in  command  on  the  western  frontier  of  Pennsylva 
nia,  against  a  league  of  the  French  and  Indians,  not  only 
his  glory,  but  the  safety  of  himself  and  his  troops  were  jeo 
parded,  by  the  peaceful  policy  of  that  colony.  To  the  sol 
dier,  this  was  an  unpardonable  offence.  He  was  fighting 
in  their  defence,  only  ho  knew  that  the  mild  prin- 


THE    PIONEERS.  35 

ciples  ->f  this  little  nation  of  practical  Christians 
would  be  disregarded  by  their  subtle  and  malig 
nant  enemies ;  and  he  felt  the  injury  the  more 
deeply,  because  he  saw  that  the  avowed  object  of 
the  colonists,  in  withholding  their  succours,  would 
only  have  a  tendency  to  expose  his  command, 
without  preserving  the  peace.  The  gallant  soldier 
succeeded,  after  a  desperate  conflict,  in  extricating 
himself  with  a  handful  of  his  men,  from  their 
murderous  enemy :  but  he  never  forgave  the  peo 
ple  who  had  exposed  him  to  a  danger,  which  the.y 
left  him  to  combat  alone.  It  was  in  vain  to  tell 
him,  that  they  had  no  agency  in  his  being  placed  on 
their  frontier  at  all;  it  was  evidently  for  their 
benefit  that  he  had  been  so  placed,  and  it  was  their 
"  religious  duty,"  so  the  Major  always  expressed 
it ;  "  it  was  their  religious  duty  to  have  supported 
him." 

At  no  time  was  the  old  soldier  an  admirer  of 
the  peaceful  disciples  of  Fox.  Their  disciplined 
habits,  both  of  mind  and  body,  had  endowed  them 
with  great  physical  perfection ;  and  the  eye  of  the 
veteran  was  apt  to  scan  the  fair  proportions  and 
athletic  frames  of  the  colonists,  with  a  look  that 
seemed  to  utter  volumes  of  contempt  for  their 
moral  imbecility.  He  was  also  a  little  addicted  to 
the  expression  of  a  belief,  that,  where  there  was 
so  great  an  observance  of  the  externals  of  reli 
gion,  there  could  not  be  much  of  the  substance. — 
It  is  not  our  task  to  explain  what  is,  or  ought  to  be, 
the  substance  of  Christianity,  but  merely  to  record 
in  this  place  the  opinions  of  Major  Effingham. 

Knowing  the  sentiments  of  the  father,  in  rela 
tion  to  this  people,  it  was  no  wonder  that  the  son 
hesitated  to  avow  his  connexion  with,  nay,  even 
his  dependence  on  the  integrity  of,  a  quaker. 

It  has  been  seen  that  Marmaduke  deduced  his 


36  THE    PIONEERS. 

origin  from  the  contemporaries  and  friends  ol 
Penn.  His  father  had  married  without  the  pale 
of  the  church  to  which  he  belonged,  and  had,  i'» 
this  manner,  forfeited  some  of  the  privileges  o? 
his  offspring.  Still,  as  young  Marmaduke  wak 
educated  in  a  colony  and  society,  where  even  th* 
ordinary  intercourse  between  friends  was  tine 
tured  with  the  aspect  of  this  mild  religion,  hit 
habits  and  language  were  somewhat  marked  by  its 
peculiarities.  His  own  marriage  at  a  future  day 
with  a  lady  without,  not  only  the  pale,  but  the 
influence  of  this  sect  of  religionists,  had  a  tenden 
cy,  it  is  true,  to  weaken  his  early  impressions; 
still  he  retained  them,  in  some  degree,  to  the  hour 
of  his  death,  and  was  observed  uniformly,  when 
much  interested  or  agitated,  to  speak  in  the  lan 
guage  of  his  youth — But  this  is  anticipating  our 
tale. 

When  Marmaduke  first  became  the  partner  of 
young  Effingham,  he  was  quite  the  quaker  in  ex 
ternals  ;  and  it  was  too  dangerous  an  experiment 
for  the  son  to  think  of  encountering  the  preju 
dices  of  the  father  on  this  subject.  The  connex 
ion,  therefore,  remained  a  profound  secret  to  all 
but  those  who  were  interested  in  it. 

For  a  few  years,  Marmaduke  directed  the  com 
mercial  operations  of  his  house  with  a  prudence 
and  sagacity,  that  afforded  rich  returns  for  the 
labour  and  hazard  incurred.  He  married  the  lady 
we  have  mentioned,  who  was  the  mother  of  Eliza 
beth,  and  the  visits  of  his  friend  were  becoming 
more  frequent ;  and  there  was  a  speedy  prospect 
of  removing  the  veil  from  their  intercourse,  as  its 
advantages  became  each  hour  more  apparent  to 
Mr.  Effingham,  when  the  troubles  that  preceded 
the  war  of  the  revolution  extended  themselves  to 
an  alarming  degree. 


THE    PIONEERS.  37 

Educated  in  the  most  dependent  loyalty  by  his  fa- 
,  Mr.  Effingham  had,  from  the  commencement 
of  the  disputes  between  the  colonists  and  the 
crown,  warmly  maintained,  what  he  believed  to 
be,  the  just  prerogatives  of  his  prince ;  while  on 
the  other  hand,  the  clear  head  and  independent 
mind  of  Temple  had  induced  him  to  espouse  the 
cause  of  the  people.  Both  might  have  been 
influenced  by  early  impressions ;  for,  if  the  son  of 
the  loyal  and  gallant  soldier  bowed  in  implicit 
obedience  to  the  will  of  his  sovereign,  the  de 
scendant  of  the  persecuted  follower  of  Penn 
looked  back,  with  a  little  bitterness,  to  the  un 
merited  wrongs  that  had  been  heaped  upon  his 
ancestors. 

This  difference  in  opinion  had  long  been  a  sub 
ject  of  amicable  dispute  between  them,  but,  latter 
ly,  the  contest  was  getting  to  be  too  important  to 
admit  of  trivial  discussions  on  the  part  of  Marma 
duke,  whose  acute  discernment  was  already  catch- 
mg  faint  glimmerings  of  the  important  events  that 
were  in  embryo.  The  sparks  of  dissension  soon 
fcindled  into  a  blaze  ;  and  the  colonies,  or  rather, 
as  they  quickly  declared  themselves,  THE  STATES; 
became  a  scene  of  strife  and  bloodshed  for  years. 

A  short  time  before  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
Mr.  Effingham,  already  a  widower,  transmitted  to 
Marmaduke,  for  safe-keeping,  all  his  valuable 
effects  and  papers ;  and  left  the  colony  without  his 
/ather.  The  war  had,  however,  scarcely  com 
menced  in  earnest,  when  he  re-appeared  in  New- 
York,  wearing  the  livery  of  his  king,  and  in  a 
short  time  he  took  the  field  at  the  head  of  a  pro 
vincial  corps.  In  the  mean  time,  Marmaduke  had 
completely  committed  himself  in  the  cause,  as  it 
was  then  called,  of  the  rebellion  :  of  course,  all 
intercourse  between  the  friends  ceased — on  the 
4 


THE    PIONEERS. 

part  of  Col.  Effingham  it  was  unsought,  and  on 
that  of  Marmaduke  there  was  a  cautious  reserve. 
It  soon  became  necessary  for  the  latter  to  abandon 
the  capital  of  Philadelphia;  but  he  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  remove  to  the  interior  the  whole  01 
his  effects,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  royal  forces, 
including  the  papers  of  his  friend  also.  There  he 
continued  serving  his  country  during  the  struggle, 
in  various  civil  capacities,  and  always  with  dignity 
and  usefulness.  While,  however,  he  discharged 
his  functions  with  credit  and  fidelity,  Marmaduke 
never  seemed  to  lose  sight  of  his  own  interests ; 
for,  when  the  estates  of  the  adherents  of  the 
crown  fell  under  the  hammer,  by  the  acts  of  con 
fiscation,  he  appeared  in  New-York,  and  became 
the  purchaser  of  extensive  possessions  at,  compa 
ratively,  very  low  prices. 

It  is  true  that  Marmaduke,  by  thus  purchasing 
estates  that  had  been  wrested  by  violence  from 
others,  rendered  himself  obnoxious  to  the  cen 
sures  of  that  sect,  which,  at  the  same  time  that  it 
discards  its  children  from  a  full  participation  in  the 
family  union,  seems  ever  unwilling  to  abandon 
them  entirely  to  the  world,  But  either  his  suc 
cess,  or  the  frequency  of  the  transgression  in 
others,  soon  wiped  off  this  slight  stain  from  his 
character :  and  although  there  were  a  few,  who, 
dissatisfied  with  their  own  fortunes,  or  conscious 
of  their  own  demerits,  would  make  dark  hints 
concerning  the  sudden  prosperity  of  the  unpor- 
tioned  quaker,  yet  his  services,  and  possibly  his 
wealth,  soon  drove  the  recollection  of  these  vague 
conjectures  from  men's  minds. 

When  the  war  was  ended,  and  the  indepen 
dence  of  the  states  acknowledged,  Mr.  Temple 
turned  his  attention  from  the  pursuit  of  commerce, 
which  was  then  fluctuating  and  uncertain,  to  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  39 

settlement  of  those  tracts  of  land  which  he  had 
purchased.  Aided  by  a  good  deal  of  money,  and 
directed  by  the  suggestions  of  a  strong  and  practi 
cal  reason,  his  enterprises  throve  to  a  degree,  that 
the  climate  and  rugged  face  of  the  country  which 
he  selected  would  seem  to  forbid.  His  property 
increased  in  a  tenfold  ratio,  and  he  was  already  to 
be  ranked  among  the  most  wealthy  and  important 
of  his  countrymen.  To  inherit  this  wealth  he 
had  but  one  child — the  daughter  whom  we  have 
introduced  to  the  reader,  and  whom  he  was  now 
conveying  from  school,  to  preside  over  a  house 
hold  that  had  too  long  wanted  a  mistress. 

When  the  district  in  which  his  estates  lay,  had 
become  sufficiently  populous  to  be  set  off  as  a 
county,  Mr.  Temple  had,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  new  settlements,  been  selected  to  fill  its 
highest  judicial  station.  This  might  make  a  Tem 
plar  smile,  but  in  addition  to  the  apology  of  neces 
sity,  there  is  ever  a  dignity  in  talents  and  expe 
rience,  that  is  commonly  sufficient,  in  any  station, 
for  the  protection  of  its  possessor;  and  Marma- 
duke,  more  fortunate  in  his  native  clearness  of 
mind  than  the  judge  of  King  Charles,  not  only 
decided  right,  but  was  generally  able  to  give  a 
very  good  reason  for  it.  At  all  events,  such  was 
the  universal  practice  of  the  country  and  the 
times  ;  and  Judge  Temple,  so  far  from  ranking 
among  the  lowest  of  his  judicial  contemporaries  in 
the  courts  of  the  new  counties,  felt  himself,  and 
was  unanimously  acknowledged  to  be,  among  the 
first. 

We  shall  here  close  this  brief  explanation  of  the 
history  and  character  of  some  of  our  personages, 
leaving  them  in  future  to  speak  and  act  for  them 
selves. 


CHAPTER   III. 


All  that  thou  see'st,  is  nature's  handy-work ; 
Those  rocks  that  upward  throw  their  mossy  brow*. 
Like  castled  pinnacles  of  the  elder  times  1 
These  venerable  stems,  that  slowly  rock 
Their  tow'ring  branches  in  the  wintry  gale  I 
That  field  of  frost,  which  glitters  in  the  sun, 
Mocking  the  whiteness  of  a  marble  breast ! — 
Yet  man  can  mar  such  works  with  his  rude  taste, 
Like  some  sad  spoiler  of  a  virgin's  fame. 

Duo. 


SOME  little  while  elapsed,  after  the  horses  ha<i 
resumed  their  journey,  ere  Marmaduke  Temple 
was  sufficiently  recovered  from  his  agitation  to 
scan  the  person  of  his  new  companion.  He  now 
observed,  that  he  was  a  youth  of  some  two  or 
three  and  twenty  years  of  age ;  and  rather  above 
the  middle  height.  Further  observation  was  pre 
vented  by  the  rough  overcoat  which  was  belted 
close  to  his  form  by  a  worsted  sash,  much  like  the 
one  worn  by  the  old  hunter.  The  eyes  of  the 
Judge,  after  resting  a  moment  on  the  figure  of  the 
stranger,  were  raised  to  a  scrutiny  of  his  coun 
tenance.  There  had  been  a  contraction  of  the 
brows,  and  a  look  of  care,  visible  in  the  features 
of  the  youth,  when  he  first  entered  the  sleigh, 
that  had  not  only  attracted  the  notice  of  Elizabeth, 
but  which  she  had  been  much  puzzled  to  interpret. 


THE    PIONEERS.  41 

The  passion  seemed  the  strongest  when  he  was 
enjoining  his  old  companion  to  secrecy  ;  and  when 
he  had  decided,  and  was,  rather  passively,  suffer 
ing  himself  to  be  conveyed  to  the  village,  the  ex 
pression  of  the  young  man's  eyes  by  no  means 
indicated  any  great  degree  of  self-satisfaction  at 
the  step.  But  the  lines  of  an  uncommonly  pre 
possessing  countenance  were  gradually  becoming 
composed  ;  and  he  now  sat  in  silent,  and  apparent 
ly  abstracted  musing.  The  Judge  gazed  at  him 
for  some  time  with  earnestness,  and  then  smiling 
as  if  at  his  own  forgetfulness,  he  spoke — 

"  I  believe,  my  young  friend,  that  terror  has 
driven  your  name  from  my  recollection — your  face 
is  very  familiar  to  me,  and  yet  for  the  honour  of  a 
score  of  buck's-tails  in  my  cap,  I  could  not  tell 
your  name." 

"  I  came  into  the  country  but  three  weeks 
since,  sir,"  returned  the  youth  coldly,  "  and  I  un 
derstand  you  have  been  absent  more  than  that 
time." 

"  It  will  be  five  to-morrow.  Yet  your  face  is 
one  that  I  have  seen  ;  though  it  would  not  be 
strange,  such  has  been  my  affright,  should  I  see 
thee  in  thy  winding-sheet  walking  by  my  bed 
side,  to-night.  What  say'st  thou,  Bess  ?  Am  I 
compos  mentis  or  not? — Fit  to  charge  a  grand 
jury,  or,  what  is  just  now  of  more  pressing  neces 
sity,  able  to  do  the  honours  of  a  Christmas-eve  in 
the  hall  of  Templeton  ?" 

"  More  able  to  do  either,  my  dear  father,"  said 
a  playful  voice  from  under  the  ample  enclosures 
of  the  hood,  "  than  to  kill  deer  with  a  smooth 
bore."  A  short  pause  followed  ;  and  the  same 
voice,  but  in  a  different  accent,  continued — "  We 
shall  have  good  reasons  for  our  thanksgiving  to 
night,  on  more  accounts  than  one." 
4* 


42  THE    PIONEERS. 

A  slightly  scornful  smile  passed  over  the  fea 
tures  of  the  youth,  at  the  archness  of  the  first 
part  of  this  speech ;  but  it  instantly  vanished,  as 
he  listened  to  the  tremulous  tones  in  which  it 
was  concluded.  The  Judge,  also,  seemed  to  be 
affected  with  the  consciousness  of  how  narrowly 
he  had  escaped  taking  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature, 
and,  for  some  time,  there  was  a  dead  silence  in  the 
sleigh. 

The  horses  soon  reached  a  point,  where  they 
seemed  to  know  by  instinct  that  their  journey  was 
nearly  ended,  and,  bearing  on  the  bits,  as  they 
tossed  their  heads,  uneasily,  up  and  down,  they 
rapidly  drew  the  sleigh  over  the  level  land,  which 
lay  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  soon  came  to 
the  point  where  the  road  descended  suddenly,  but 
circuitously,  into  the  valley. 

The  Judge  was  roused  from  his  reflections, 
when  he  saw  the  four  columns  of  dense  smoke, 
which  floated  along  the  air  from  his  own  chimneys. 
As  house,  village,  and  valley  burst  on  his  sight,  he 
exclaimed  cheerfully  to  his  daughter — 

"  See,  Bess,  there  is  thy  resting-place  for  life  ! 
And  thine  too,  young  man,  if  thou  wilt  consent  to 
dwell  with  us." 

The  eyes  of  the  youth  and  maiden  involuntarily 
met,  as  the  Ju  3ge,  in  the  warmth  of  his  feelings, 
thus  included  them  in  an  association  which  was  to 
endure  so  long ;  and  if  the  deepening  colour,  that, 
notwithstanding  her  hood,  might  be  seen  gather 
ing  over  the  face  even  to  the  forehead  of  Eliza 
beth,  was  contradicted  in  its  language  by  the 
proud  expression  of  her  eye,  the  scornful  but. 
covert  smile  that  again  played  about  the  lips  of 
the  stranger,  seemed  equally  to  deny  the  prob 
ability  of  his  consenting  to  form  one  of  this 
family  group.  The  scene  was  one,  however, 


THE    PIONEERS.  43 

which  might  easily  warm  a  heart  less  given  to  phil 
anthropy  than  that  of  Marmaduke  Temple, 

The  side  of  the  mountain,  on  which  our  travel 
lers,  were  journeying,  though  not  absolutely  per 
pendicular,  was  yet  so  steep  as  to  render  great  care 
necessary  in  descending  the  rude  and  narrow  path, 
which,  in  that  early  day,  wound  along  the  preci 
pices.  The  negro  reined  in  his  impatient  steeds, 
and  ,time  was  given  to  Elizabeth  to  dwell  on  a 
scene  which  was  so  rapidly  altering  under  the 
hands  of  man,  that  it  only  resembled,  in  its  out 
lines,  the  picture  she  had  so  often  studied,  with  de 
light,  in  her  childhood.  On  the  right,  and  stretch 
ing  for  several  miles  to  the  north,  lay  a  narrow 
plain,  buried  among  mountains,  which,  falling  oc 
casionally,  jutted  in  long  low  points,  that  were  co 
vered  with  tall  trees,  into  the  valley ;  and  then 
again,  for  miles,  stretched  their  lofty  brows  per 
pendicularly  along  its  margin,  nourishing  in  the 
crags  that  formed  their  sides,  pines  and  hemlocks 
thinly  interspersed  with  chesnut  and  beech,  which 
grew  in  lines  nearly  parallel  to  the  mountains 
themselves.  The  dark  foliage  of  the  evergreens 
was  brilliantly  contrasted  by  the  glittering  white 
ness  of  the  plain,  which  exhibited,  over  the  tops 
of  the  trees,  and  through  the  vistas  formed  by  the 
advancing  points  of  the  hills,  a  single  sheet  of  un 
spotted  snow,  relieved  occasionally  by  a  few  small 
dark  objects  that  were  discovered,  as  they  were 
passing  directly  beneath  the  feet  of  the  travellers, 
to  be  sleighs  moving  in  various  directions.  On 
the  western  border  of  the  plain,  the  mountains, 
though  equally  high,  were  less  precipitous,  and  as 
they  receded,  opened  into  irregular  valleys  and 
glens,  and  were  formed  into  terraces,  and  hollows 
that  admitted  of  cultivation.  Although  the  ever 
greens  still  held  dominion  over  many  of  the  hills 


44  THE   PIONEERS. 

that  rose  on  this  side  of  the  valley,  yet  the  undu 
lating  outlines  of  the  distant  mountains,  covered 
with  forests  of  beech  and  maple,  gave  a  relief  to 
the  eye,  and  the  promise  of  a  kinder  soil.  Occa 
sionally,  spots  of  white  were  discoverable  amidst 
the  forests  of  the  opposite  hills,  that  announced,  by 
the  smoke  which  curled  over  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
the  habitations  of  man,  and  the  commencement  oi 
agriculture.  These  spots  were  sometimes,  by  the 
aid  of  united  labour,  enlarged  into  what  were  call 
ed  settlements;  but  more  frequently  were  small 
and  insulated ;  though  so  rapid  were  the  changes, 
and  so  persevering  the  labours  of  those  who  had 
cast  their  fortunes  on  the  success  of  the  enterprise, 
that  it  was  not  difficult  for  the  imagination  of  Eli 
zabeth  to  conceive  they  were  enlarging  under  her 
eye,  while  she  was  gazing,  in  mute  wonder,  at  the 
alterations  that  a  few  short  years  had  made  in  the 
aspect  of  the  country.  The  points  on  the  western 
side  of  the  plain  were  both  larger  and  more  nume 
rous  than  those  on  its  eastern,  and  one  in  particu 
lar  thrust  itself  forward  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
form  beautifully  curved  bays  of  snow  on  either 
side.  On  its  extreme  end  a  mighty  oak  stretched 
forward,  as  if  to  overshadow,  with  its  branches,  a 
spot  which  its  roots  were  forbidden  to  enter.  It 
had  released  itself  from  the  thraldom,  that  a  growth 
of  centuries  had  imposed  on  the  branches  of  the 
surrounding  forest-trees,  and  threw  its  gnarled  and 
fantastic  arms  abroad,  in  all  the  wildness  of  unre 
strained  liberty.  A  dark  spot  of  a  few  acres  in  ex 
tent  at  the  southern  extremity  of  this  beautiful  flat, 
and  immediately  under  the  feet  of  our  travellers, 
alone  showed,  by  its  rippling  surface,  and  the  va 
pours  which  exhaled  from  it,  that  what  at  first  might 
seem  a  plain,  was  one  of  the  mountain  lakes,  lock 
ed  in  the  frosts  of  winter.  A  narrow  current  rush- 


THE    PIONEERS.  45 

ed  impetuously  from  its  bosom  at  the  open  place 
we  have  mentioned,  and  might  be  traced  for  a  few 
miles,  as  it  wound  its  way  towards  the  south 
through  the  real  valley,  by  its  borders  of  hemlock 
and  pine,  and  by  the  vapour  which  arose  from  its 
warmer  surface  into  the  chill  atmosphere  of  the 
hills.  The  banks  of  this  lovely  basin,  at  its  outlet, 
or  southern  end,  were  steep  but  not  high  ;  and  in 
that  direction  the  land  continued  for  many  miles  a 
narrow  but  level  plain,  along  which  the  settlers 
had  scattered  their  humble  habitations,  with  a  pro 
fusion  that  bespoke  the  quality  of  the  soil,  and  the 
comparative  facilities  of  intercourse.  Immediately 
on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  stood  the  village  of  Tem- 
pleton.  It  consisted  of  about  fifty  buildings,  in 
cluding  those  of  every  description,  chiefly  built  of 
wood,  and  which,  in  their  architecture,  bore  not 
only  strong  marks  of  the  absence  of  taste,  but  also, 
by  the  slovenly  and  unfinished  appearance  of  most 
of  the  dwellings,  indicated  the  hasty  manner  of 
their  construction.  To  the  eye,  they  presented  a 
variety  of  colours.  A  few  were  white  in  both 
front  and  rear,  but  more  bore  that  expensive  co 
lour  on  their  fronts  only,  while  their  economical 
but  ambitious  owners  had  covered  the  remaining 
sides  of  their  edifices  with  a  dingy  red.  One  or 
two  were  slowly  assuming  the  russet  of  age  ;  while 
the  uncovered  beams  that  were  to  be  seen  through 
the  broken  windows  of  their  second  stories,  show 
ed,  that  either  the  taste,  or  the  vanity  of  their  pro 
prietors,  had  led  them  to  undertake  a  task  which 
they  were  unable  to  accomplish.  The  whole  were 
grouped  together  in  a  manner  that  aped  the  streets 
of  a  city,  and  were  evidently  so  arranged,  by  the 
directions  of  one,  who  looked  far  ahead  to  the 
wants  of  posterity,  rather  than  to  the  convenience 
of  the  present  incumbents.  Some  three  or  four  of 


46  THE   PIONEERS. 

the  better  sort  of  buildings,  in  addition  to  the  uni 
formity  of  their  colour,  were  fitted  with  green 
blinds,  that  were  rather  strangely  contrasted  to  the 
chill  aspect  of  the  lake,  the  mountains,  the  forests, 
and  the  wide  fields  of  snow.  Before  the  doors  of 
these  pretending  dwellings,  were  placed  a  few  sap 
lings,  either  without  branches,  or  possessing  only 
the  feeble  shoots  of  one  or  two  summer's  growth, 
that  looked  not  unlike  tall  grenadiers  on  post,  near 
the  threshold  of  princes.  In  truth,  the  occupants 
of  these  favoured  habitations  were  the  nobles  of 
Templeton,  as  Marmaduke  was  its  king.  They 
were  the  dwellings  of  two  young  men  who  were 
cunning  in  the  law  ;  an  equal  number  of  that  class 
who  chaffered  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  commu 
nity  under  the  significant  title  of  store-keepers ; 
and  a  disciple  of  .ZEsculapius,  who,  for  a  novelty, 
brought  more  subjects  into  the  world  than  he  sent 
out  of  it.  In  the  midst  of  this  incongruous  group 
of  dwellings,  rose  the  mansion  of  the  Judge,  tow 
ering  proudly  above  all  its  neighbours.  It  stood 
in  the  centre  of  an  enclosure  that  included  several 
acres,  which  were  covered  with  fruit-trees.  Some 
of  these  were  of  Indian  origin,  and  began  already 
to  assume  the  moss  and  inclination  of  age,  therein 
forming  a  very  marked  contrast  to  the  infant  plan 
tations  that  peered  over  most  of  the  picketed 
fences  in  the  village.  In  addition  to  this  show  of 
cultivation,  were  two  rows  of  young  poplars,  a  tree 
but  lately  introduced  into  America,  formally  lining 
either  side  of  a  pathway,  which  led  from  a  gate, 
that  opened  on  the  principal  street,  to  the  front 
door  of  the  building.  The  house  itself  had  been 
built  entirely  under  the  superintendence  of  a  Mr. 
Richard  Jones,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned, 
and  who,  from  a  certain  cleverness  in  small  matters, 
and  his  willingness  to  exert  his  talents,  added  to 


THE    PIONEERS.  47 

the  circumstance  of  their  being  sisters'  children, 
ordinarily  superintended  all  the  minor  concerns  of 
Marmaduke  Temple's  business.  Richard  was  fond 
of  saying,  that  this  child  of  his  invention  consisted 
of  nothing  more  nor  less,  than  what  should  form 
the  ground-work  of  a  clergyman's  discourse  ;  viz. 
a  firstly,  and  a  lastly.  He  had  commenced  his  la 
bours  in  the  first  year  of  their  residence,  by  erect 
ing  a  tall,  gaunt  edifice  of  wood,  with  its  gable  to 
wards  the  highway.  In  this  shelter,  for  it  was  but 
little  more,  the  family  resided  for  three  years.  By 
the  end  of  that  period,  Richard  had  completed  his 
design.  He  had  availed  himself,  in  this  heavy  un 
dertaking,  of  the  experience  of  a  certain  wander 
ing,  eastern  mechanic,  who,  by  exhibiting  a  few 
solid  plates  of  English  architecture,  and  talking 
learnedly  of  friezes,  entablatures,  and  particularly 
of  the  composite  order,  had  obtained  a  very  undue 
influence  over  Richard's  taste,  in  every  thing  that 
pertained  to  that  branch  of  the  fine  arts.  Not  but 
that  Mr.  Jones  affected  to  consider  Mr.  Hiram 
Doolittle  a  perfect  empiric  in  his  profession  ;  be 
ing  in  the  constant  habit  of  listening  to  his  treatises 
on  architecture,  with  a  kind  of  indulgent  smile,  yet, 
either  from  an  inability  to  oppose  them  by  any 
thing  plausible  from  his  own  stores  of  learning,  or 
from  a  secret  admiration  of  their  truth,  Richard 
generally  submitted  to  the  arguments  of  his  coad 
jutor.  Together,  they  had  not  only  erected  a 
dwelling  for  Marmaduke,  but  had  given  a  fashion 
to  the  architecture  of  the  country.  The  compo 
site  order,  Mr.  Doolittle  would  contend,  was  an 
order  composed  of  many  others,  and  was  intended 
to  be  the  most  useful,  for  it  admitted  into  its  con 
struction  such  alterations  as  convenience  or  cir 
cumstances  might  require.  To  this  proposition 
Richard  very  gravely  assented  ;  and  it  was  by  this 


48  THE    PIONEERS. 

unison  in  sentiment  that  the  composite  order,  or  a 
style  of  architecture  that  emanated  from  the  car 
penter's  own  genius,  with  a  few  suggestions  from 
the  other,  became  the  fashion  of  the  new  county. 
The  house  itself,  or  the  "  lastly,"  was  of  stone  ; 
large,  square,  formal,  and  far  from  uncomfortable, 
These  were  four  requisites,  on  which  Marmaduke 
had  insisted  with  a  little  more  than  his  ordinary 
pertinacity.  But  every  thing  else  was  peaceably 
resigned  to  Richard  and  his  associate.  These  wor 
thies  found  but  little  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
their  talents  on  a  stone  edifice,  excepting  in  the 
roof  and  in  the  porch.  The  former,  it  was  soon 
decided,  should  be  made  with  four  faces  and  a  plat 
form,  in  order  to  hide  a  part  of  the  building  that 
all  writers  agreed  was  an  object  that  ought  to  be 
concealed.  To  this  arrangement,  Marmaduke  ob 
jected  the  heavy  snows  that  lay  for  months,  fre 
quently  covering  the  earth  to  a  depth  of  three  or 
four  feet.  Happily,  the  facilities  of  the  composite 
order  presented  themselves  to  effect  a  compromise, 
and  the  rafters  were  lengthened,  so  as  to  give  a 
descent  that  should  carry  off  the  frozen  element. 
But  unluckily,  some  mistake  was  made  in  the  ad 
measurement  of  these  material  parts  of  the  fabric, 
and  as  one  of  the  greatest  recommendations  of  Hi 
ram  was  his  ability  to  work  by  the  "  square  rule," 
no  opportunity  was  found  of  discovering  the  effect 
that  was  to  be  produced  by  this  offspring  of  com 
pound  genius,  until  the  massive  timbers  were  raised, 
with  much  labour,  on  the  four  walls  of  the  build 
ing.  Then,  indeed,  it  was  soon  seen,  that,  in  de 
fiance  of  all  rule,  the  roof  was  by  far  the  most  con 
spicuous  part  of  the  edifice.  Richard  and  his  as 
sociate  consoled  themselves  with  the  belief,  that 
the  covering  would  aid  in  concealing  this  unnatu 
ral  elevation  ;  but  every  shingle  that  was  laid  was 


THE    PIONEERS.  49 

only  multiplying  objects  to  look  at.  Richard  es 
sayed  to  remedy  the  evil  with  paint,  and  four  dif 
ferent  colours  were  laid  on  by  his  own  hands.  The 
first  was  a  sky-blue,  in  the  vain  expectation  that 
the  eye  might  be  cheated  into  the  belief,  it  was 
the  heavens  themselves  that  hung  so  imposingly 
over  Marmaduke's  dwelling ;  the  second  was,  what 
he  called,  a  "  cloud-colour,"  being  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  an  imitation  of  light  smoke  ;  the  third 
was  what  Richard  termed  an  invisible  green,  which 
he  laid  on  with  a  belief,  that  the  deformity  might 
be  blended  with  the  back-ground  of  pines,  that 
rose,  in  tall  grandeur,  but  a  short  distance  in  the 
rear  of  the  mansion-house.  But  all  these  inge 
nious  expedients  entirely  failed,  and  our  artists  re 
linquished  the  desire  to  conceal,  and  attempted  to 
ornament,  the  offensive  member.  The  last  colour 
that  Richard  bestowed  on  the  luckless  roof,  was  a 
"  sun-shiny  yellow ;"  so  called,  both  from  its  re 
semblance  to,  and  its  powers  to  resist,  the  rays  of 
the  great  luminary.  The  platform,  as  well  as  the 
eaves  of  the  house,  were  surmounted  by  gaudily 
painted  railings,  and  the  genius  of  Hiram  was  ex 
erted  in  the  fabrication  of  divers  urns  and  mould 
ings,  that  were  scattered  profusely  around  this  part 
of  their  labours.  Richard  had  originally  a  cunning 
expedient,  by  which  the  chimneys  were  intended 
to  be  so  low,  and  so  situated,  as  to  resemble  orna 
ments  on  the  balustrades ;  but  comfort  required 
that  the  chimneys  should  rise  with  the  roof,  in  or 
der  that  the  smoke  might  be  carried  off,  and  they 
thus  became  four  extremely  conspicuous  objects  in 
the  view. 

As  this  was  much  the  most  important  undertaking 

in  which  Mr.  Jones  was  ever  engaged,  his  failure 

produced  a  correspondent  degree  of  mortification. 

At  first,  he  whispered  among  his  acquaintances, 

o 


50  THE    PIONEERS. 

that  it  all  proceeded  from  ignorance  of  the  square 
rule  on  the  part  of  Hiram,  but  as  his  eye  became 
gradually  accustomed  to  the  object,  he  grew  bettei 
satisfied  with  his  labours,  and  instead  of  apologizing 
for  the  defects,  he  commenced  praising  the  beau 
ties  of  the  mansion-house.  He  soon  found  hear 
ers  ;  and,  as  wealth  and  comfort  are  at  all  times 
attractive,  it  was  made  a  model  for  imitation  on  a 
small  scale.  In  less  than  two  years  from  its  erec 
tion,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  standing  on  the  elevat 
ed  platform,  and  of  looking  down  on  three  humble 
imitators  of  its  beauty. — Thus  it  is  ever  with 
fashion,  which  even  renders  the  faults  of  the  great 
subjects  of  admiration. 

Marmaduke  bore  this  deformity  in  his  dwelling 
with  great  good  nature,  and  soon  contrived,  by  his 
own  improvements,  to  give  an  air  both  of  respecta 
bility  and  comfort  to  his  place  of  residence  ;  still 
there  was  much  of  incongruity,  even  immediately 
about  the  mansion-house.  Although  poplars  had 
been  brought  from  Europe  to  ornament  the  grounds, 
and  willows  and  other  trees  were  gradually  spring 
ing  up  nigh  the  dwelling,  yet  many  a  pile  of  snow 
betrayed  the  presence  of  the  stump  of  a  mighty 
pine  ;  and  even,  in  one  or  two  instances,  unsightly 
remnants  of  trees  that  had  been  partly  destroyed 
by  fire  were  seen  rearing  their  black  and  glisten 
ing  columns,  for  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  the 
pure  white  of  the  snow.  These,  which  in  the  lan 
guage  of  the  country  are  termed  stubs,  abounded 
in  the  open  fields  adjacent  to  the  village,  and  were 
accompanied,  occasionally,  by  the  ruin  of  a  pine  or 
a  hemlock  that  had  been  stripped  of  its  bark,  and 
which  waved  in  melancholy  grandeur  its  naked 
limbs  to  the  blast,  a  skeleton  of  its  former  glory.. 
But  these  unpleasant  additions  to  the  view  were 
unnoticed  by  the  delighted  Elizabeth,  who,  as  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  51 

horses  slowly  moved  down  the  side  of  the  moun 
tain,  saw  only  in  gross  the  cluster  of  houses  that 
lay  like  a  map  at  her  feet ;  the  fifty  smokes,  that 
were  diagonally  curling  from  the  valley  to  the 
clouds ;  the  frozen  lake,  as  it  lay  embedded  in 
mountains  of  evergreen,  with  the  long  shadows  of 
the  pines  on  its  white  surface,  lengthening  in  the 
setting  sun  ;  the  dark  riband  of  water,  that  gushed 
from  the  outlet,  and  was  winding  its  way  already 
towards  the  far  distant  Chesapeake — the  altered, 
though  still  remembered,  scenes  of  her  childhood 
and  of  joy! 

Five  years  had  here  wrought  greater  changes 
than  a  century  would  produce  in  older  countries, 
where  time  and  labour  have  given  permanency  to 
the  works  of  man.  To  the  young  hunter  and  the 
Judge  the  scene  had  less  of  novelty  ;  though  none 
ever  emerge  from  the  dark  forests  of  that  moun 
tain,  and  witness  the  glorious  scenery  of  that  beau 
teous  valley,  as  it  bursts  unexpectedly  upon  them, 
without  a  feeling  of  delight.  The  former  cast  one 
admiring  glance  from  north  to  south,  and  then  sunk 
his  face  again  beneath  the  folds  of  his  coat ;  while 
the  latter  contemplated,  with  philanthropic  plea 
sure,  the  prospect  of  affluence  and  comfort,  that 
was  expanding  around  him ;  the  result  of  his  own 
enterprise,  and  much  of  it  the  fruits  of  his  own 
industry. 

The  cheerful  sound  of  sleigh-bells,  however- 
soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  whole  party,  as 
they  came  jingling  up  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  at 
a  rate  that  announced  both  a  powerful  team  and  a 
hard  driver.  The  bushes  which  lined  the  high 
way  interrupted  the  view,  and  they  were  close 
upon  this  vehicle  before  they  discovered  who 
were  its  occupants. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


How  now  t  whose  mare's  dead  f  what's  the  matter. 

Falstaff. 


A  FEW  minutes  resolved  whatever  doubts  our 
travellers  entertained,  as  to  the  description  of 
those  who  were  approaching  them  with  such  ex 
hilarating  sounds.'  A  large  lumber-sleigh,  drawn 
by  four  horses,  was  soon  seen  dashing  through  the 
leafless  bushes,  which  fringed  the  road  that  was 
here,  as  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  cut  into 
the  hill.  The  leaders  were  of  gray,  and  the  pole- 
horses  of  a  jet  black.  Bells,  innumerable,  were 
suspended  from  every  part  of  the  harness,  where 
one  of  those  tinkling  balls  could  be  placed  ;  while 
the  rapid  movement  of  the  equipage,  in  defiance 
of  the  steep  ascent,  announced  the  desire  of  the 
driver  to  ring  them  to  the  utmost.  The  first  glance 
at  this  singular  arrangement  satisfied  the  Judge 
as  to  the  character  of  those  in  the  sleigh.  It  con 
tained  four  male  figures.  On  one  of  those  stools 
that  are  used  at  writing-desks,  lashed  firmly  to  the 
sides  of  the  vehicle,  was  seated  a  little  man,  en 
veloped  in  a  great  coat  fringed  with  fur,  in  such  a 
manner  that  no  part  of  him  was  visible  excepting 
a  face,  of  an  unvarying  red  colour.  There  was  a 
habitual  upward  look  about  the  head  of  this  gen- 


THE    PIONEERS.  53 

tleman,  as  if  it  were  dissatisfied  with  the  proximity 
to  the  earth  that  nature  had  decreed  in  his  stature, 
and  the  expression  of  his  countenance  was  that  of 
busy  care.  He  was  the  charioteer,  and  he  guided 
the  mettled  animals  that  he  drove  along  the  preci 
pice,  with  a  fearless  eye,  and  a  steady  hand.  Im 
mediately  behind  him,  with  his  face  toward  the 
other  two,  was  a  tall  figure,  to  whose  appearance 
not  even  the  duplicate  over-coats  which  he  wore, 
aided  by  the  corner  of  a  horse-blanket,  could  give 
the  appearance  of  strength.  His  face  was  protrud 
ing  from  beneath  a  woollen  night-cap ;  and  when 
he  turned  to  the  vehicle  of  Marmaduke  as  the 
sleighs  approached  each  other,  it  seemed  formed 
by  nature  to  cut  the  atmosphere  with  the  least 
possible  resistance.  The  eyes  alone  appeared  to 
create  an  obstacle,  as  from  either  side  of  his  fore 
head  their  light,  blue,  glassy  balls  projected.  The 
sallow  of  his  countenance  was  a  colour  too  perma 
nent  to  be  affected  even  by  the  intense  cold  of  the 
evening.  Opposite  to  this  personage,  sat  a  square 
figure  of  large  proportions.  No  part  of  his  form 
was  to  be  discovered  through  his  over-dress,  but  a 
full  face  with  an  agreeable  expression,  that  was  il 
luminated  by  a  pair  of  animated  black  eyes  of  a 
lurking  look,  that  gave  the  lie  to  every  demure 
feature  in  his  countenance.  A  fair,  jolly  wig  fur 
nished  a  neat  and  rounded  outline  to  his  visage, 
and  he,  as  well  as  the  other  two,  wore  martin-skin 
caps  as  outward  coverings  for  their  heads.  The 
fourth  was  a  meek-looking,  long-visaged  man, 
without  any  other  protection  from  the  cold  than 
that  which  was  furnished  by  a  black  surtout,  made 
with  some  little  formality,  but  which  was  rather 
thread-bare  and  rusty.  He  wore  a  hat  of  extreme 
ly  decent  proportions,  though  frequent  brushing 
had  quite  destroyed  its  nap.  His  face  was  pale, 
5* 


64  THE    PIONEERS. 

with  a  little  melancholy,  but  so  slightly  expressed, 
as  to  leave  the  beholder  in  doubt,  whether  it  pro 
ceeded  from  mental  or  bodily  ailment.  The  air 
had  given  it,  just  now,  a  slight  and  somewhat  fe 
verish  flush.  The  character  of  his  whole  appear 
ance,  especially  contrasted  to  the  air  of  humour  in 
his  next  companion,  was  that  of  a  habitual,  but  sub 
dued  dejection.  No  sooner  had  the  two  sleighs 
approached  within  speaking  distance,  than  the 
driver  of  this  fantastic  equipage  shouted  aloud — 

u  Draw  up  in  the  quarry — draw  up,  thou  king 
of  the  Greeks ;  draw  into  the  quarry,  Agamemnon, 
or  I  shall  never  be  able  to  pass  you.  Welcome 
home,  cousin  'duke — welcome,  welcome,  my  black- 
eyed  Bess.  Thou  seest,  Marmaduke,  that  I  have 
taken  the  field  with  an  assorted  cargo,  to  do  thee 
honour.  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  has  come  out  with 
only  one  cap ;  Old  Fritz  would  not  stay  to  finish 
the  bottle  ;  and  Mr.  Grant  has  got  to  put  the  "last 
ly"  to  his  sermon,  yet.  Even  all  the  horses  would 
come — by  the  by,  Judge,  I  must  sell  these  blacks 
for  you  immediately ;  they  both  interfere,  and 
then  the  nigh  one  is  a  bad  goer  in  double  harness. 
I  can  get  rid  of  them  to " 

"  Sell  what  thou  wilt,  Dickon,"  interrupted  the 
cheerful  voice  of  the  Judge,  "  so  that  thou  leavest 
me  my  daughter  and  my  lands.  Ah !  Fritz,  my 
old  friend,  this  is  a  kind  compliment,  indeed,  for 
seventy  to  pay  to  five  and  forty.  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi,  I  am  your  servant.  Mr.  Grant,"  lifting  his 
cap,  "  I  feel  indebted  to  your  attention.  Gentle 
men,  I  make  you  acquainted  with  my  child. — 
Yours  are  names  with  which  she  is  very  familiar." 

"  Velcome,  velcome,  Tchooge,"  said  the  elder 
of  the  party,  with  a  strong  German  accent.  "  Miss 
Petsy  vilt  owe  me  a  kiss." 

"  And  cheerfully  will  I  pay  it,  my  good  sir," 


THE    PIONEERS.  55 

cried  the  soft  voice  of  Elizabeth ;  which  sounded, 
in  the  clear  air  of  the  hills,  like  tones  of  silver, 
amid  the  loud  cries  of  Richard,  and  the  manly 
greetings  of  the  gentleman.  "  I  have  always  a  kiss 
for  my  old  friend,  Major  Hartmann." 

By  this  time  the  gentleman  on  the  front  seat, 
who  had  been  addressed  as  Monsieur  Le  Quoi, 
rose  with  some  difficulty,  owing  to  the  impediment 
of  his  over  coats,  and  steadying  himself  by  placing 
one  hand  on  the  stool  of  the  charioteer,  with  the 
other  he  removed  his  cap,  and  bowing  politely  to 
the  Judge,  and  profoundly  to  Elizabeth,  he  said 
with  a  smile  that  opened  a  mouth  of  no  common 
dimensions — 

u  Ver  velcome  home,  Monsieur  Tempi'.  Ah  ' 
Mam'selle  Liz'bet,  you  ver  humble  sairvant." 

"  Cover  thy  poll,  Gaul,  cover  thy  poll,"  cried 
the  driver,  who  was  Mr.  Richard  Jones ;  "  cover 
thy  poll,  or  the  frost  will  pluck  out  the  remnant 
of  thy  locks.  Had  the  hairs  on  the  head  of  Abso- 
lom  been  as  scarce  as  on  this  crown  of  thine,  he 
might  have  been  living  to  this  day."  The  jokes 
of  Richard  never  failed  of  exciting  risibility,  for  if 
others  were  unbending,  he  uniformly  did  honour 
to  his  own  wit ;  and  he  enjoyed  a  hearty  laugh 
on  the  present  occasion,  while  Mr.  Le  Quoi  re 
sumed  his  seat  with  a  polite  reciprocation  in  his 
mirth.  The  clergyman,  for  such  was  the  office  of 
Mr.  Grant,  modestly,  though  quite  affectionately, 
exchanged  his  greetings  with  the  travellers  also, 
when  Richard  prepared  to  turn  the  heads  of  his 
horses  homeward. 

It  was  in  the  quarry  alone  that  he  could  affect 
this  object,  without  ascending  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountain.  A  very  considerable  excavation  had 
been  made  into  the  side  of  the  hill,  at  the  point 
where  Richard  had  succeeded  in  stopping  the 


56  THE    PIONEERS. 

sleighs,  from  which  the  stones  used  for  building  in 
the  village  were  ordinarily  quarried,  and  in  which 
he  now  attempted  to  turn  his  team.  Passing  itself 
was  a  task  of  difficulty,  and  frequently  of  danger, 
in  that  narrow  road ;  but  Richard  had  to  meet 
the  additional  risk  of  turning  his  four-in-hand. 
The  black  very  civilly  volunteered  his  services  to 
take  off  the  leaders,  and  the  Judge  very  earnestly 
seconded  the  measure  with  his  advice.  Richard 
treated  the  proposals  with  great  disdain. — 

"  Why,  and  wherefore,  cousin  'duke,"  he  ex 
claimed  a  little  angrily  ;  the  horses  are  as  gentle 
as  lambs.  You  know  that  I  broke  the  leaders  my 
self,  and  the  pole-horses  are  too  near  my  whip  to 
be  restive.  Here  is  Mr.  Le  Quoi,  now,  who  must 
know  something  about  driving,  because  he  has 
rode  out  so  often  with  me ;  I  will  leave  it  to  Mr. 
Le  Quoi  whether  there  is  any  danger." 

Thus  appealed  to,  it  was  not  in  the  nature  of  the 
Frenchman  to  disappoint  expectations  that  were 
so  confidently  formed ;  although  he  sat  looking 
down  the  precipice  which  fronted  him,  as  Richard 
turned  his  leaders  into  the  quarry,  with  a  pair  of 
eyes  that  stood  at  least  half  an  inch  from  his  visage. 
The  German's  muscles  were  unmoved,  but  his 
quick  sight  scanned  each  movement  with  an  un 
derstanding  expression,  that  blended  amusement 
at  Richard's  dilemma  with  anxiety  at  their  situa 
tion.  Mr.  Grant  placed  his  hands  on  the  side  of 
the  sleigh,  in  preparation  for  a  spring,  but  moral 
timidity  deterred  him  from  taking  the  leap  that 
bodily  apprehension  strongly  urged  him  to  attempt. 

Richard,  by  a  sudden  application  of  his  whip, 
succeeded  in  forcing  his  leaders  into  the  snow 
bank  that  covered  the  quarry  ;  but  the  instant  that 
the  impatient  animals  suffered  by  the  crust,  through 
which  they  broke  at  each  step,  they  positively  re- 


THE    PIONEERS.  57 

fused  to  move  an  inch  further  in  that  direction. 
On  the  contrary,  finding  that  the  cries  and  blows 
of  their  driver  were  redoubled  at  this  juncture,  the 
leaders  backed  upon  the  pole-horses,  who,  in  their 
turn,  backed  the  sleigh.  Only  a  single  log  lay 
above  the  pile  which  upheld  the  road,  on  the  side 
toward  the  valley,  which  was  now  buried  in  the 
snow.  The  sleigh  was  easily  forced  across  this 
slight  impediment ;  and  before  Richard  became 
conscious  of  his  danger,  one  half  of  the  vehicle  was 
projected  over  a  precipice,  which  fell,  nearly  per 
pendicularly,  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  The 
Frenchman,  who,  by  his  position,  had  a  full  view  of 
their  threatened  flight,  instinctively  threw  his  body 
as  far  forward  as  possible  in  the  sleigh,  and  cried, 
"  Ah  !  Mon  cher  monsieur  Deeck  !  mon  dieu  ! 
prenez  gardez  vous  !" 

"  Donner  and  blitzen,  Richart,"  exclaimed  the 
veteran  German,  looking  over  the  side  of  the  sleigh 
with  unusual  emotion,  "  put  you  will  preak  ter 
sleigh  and  kilt  ter  horses." 

"  Good  Mr.  Jones,"  said  the  clergyman,  losing 
the  slight  flush  that  cold  had  given  to  his  cheeks, 
"  be  prudent,  good  sir — be  careful." 

"  Get  up,  you  obstinate  devils  !"  cried  Richard, 
catching  a  bird's  eye  view  of  his  situation,  applying 
his  whip  with  new  vigour,  and  unconsciously  kick 
ing  the  stool  on  which  he  sat,  as  if  inclined  to  urge 
the  inanimate  wood  forward ;  "  Get  up,  I  say — 
Cousin  'duke,  I  shall  have  to  sell  the  grays  too ; 
they  are  the  worst  broken  horses — Mr.  Le  Quaw !" 
Richard  was  too  much  agitated  to  regard  his  pro 
nunciation,  of  which  he  was  commonly  a  little 
vain ;  "  Monsieur  Le  Quaw,  pray  get  off  my  leg  3 
you  .hold  my  leg  so  tight,  that  it's  no  wonder  I 
can't  guide  the  horses. ' 


58  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Merciful  Providence  !"  exclaimed  the  Judge, 
"  they  will  be  all  killed  !» 

Elizabeth  gave  a  piercing  shriek,  and  the  black 
of  Agamemnon's  face  changed  to  a  muddy  white. 

At  this  critical  moment,  the  young  hunter,  who, 
during  the  salutations  of  the  parties,  had  sat  in  ra 
ther  sullen  silence,  sprang  from  the  sleigh  of  Mar- 
maduke  to  the  heads  of  the  refractory  leaders.  The 
horses,  who  were  yet  suffering  under  the  injudi 
cious  and  somewhat  random  blows  from  Richard, 
were  dancing  up  and  down  with  that  ominous 
movement,  that  threatens  a  sudden  and  uncontrol 
lable  start,  and  pressing  backward  instead  of  going 
into  the  quarry.  The  youth  gave  the  leaders  a 
powerful  jerk,  and  they  plunged  aside,  by  the  path 
they  had  themselves  trodden,  and  re-entered  the 
road  in  the  position  in  which  they  were  first  halt 
ed.  The  sleigh  was  whirled  from  its  dangerous 
position,  and  upset  with  its  runners  outwards.  The 
German  and  the  divine  were  thrown  rather  un 
ceremoniously  into  the  highway,  but  without  dan 
ger  to  their  bones.  Richard  appeared  in  the  air, 
for  a  moment,  describing  the  segment  of  a  circle, 
of  which  the  reins  were  the  radii,  and  was  landed 
at  the  distance  of  some  fifteen  feet,  in  that  snow 
bank  which  the  horses  had  dreaded,  right  end  up 
permost.  Here,  as  he  instinctively  grasped  the 
reins,  as  drowning  men  seize  at  straws,  he  admira 
bly  served  the  purpose  of  an  anchor,  to  check  the 
further  career  of  his  steeds.  The  Frenchman,  who 
was  on  his  legs  in  the  act  of  springing  from  the 
sleigh,  took  an  aerial  flight  also,  much  in  that  atti 
tude  which  boys  assume  when  they  play  leap-frog, 
and  flying  off  in  a  tangent  to  the  curvature  of  his 
course,  came  into  the  snow-bank  head-foremost, 
where  he  remained,  exhibiting  two  lathy  legs  on 


THE    PIONEERS.  59 

high,  like  scare-crows  waving  in  a  corn  field.  Ma 
jor  Hartmann,  whose  self-possession  had  been  ad 
mirably  preserved  during  the  whole  evolution,  was 
the  first  of  the  party  that  gained  his  feet  and  his 
voice. 

"  Ter  deyvel,  Richart !"  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
voice  half  serious,  half  comical,  "  put  you  unloat 
your  sleigh  very  hantily." 

It  may  be  doubtful,  whether  the  attitude  in 
which  Mr.  Grant  continued  for  an  instant  after  his 
overthrow,  was  the  one  into  which  he  had  been 
thrown,  or  was  assumed,  in  humbling  himself  be 
fore  the  power  that  he  reverenced,  in  thanksgiving 
at  his  escape.  When  he  rose  from  his  knees,  he 
began  to  gaze  about  him,  with  anxious  looks,  after 
the  welfare  of  his  companions,  while  every  joint 
in  his  body  was  trembling  with  nervous  agitation. 
There  was  also  a  slight  confusion  in  the  faculties 
of  Mr.  Jones,  that  continued  for  some  little  time  ; 
but  as  the  mist  gradually  cleared  from  before  his 
eyes,  he  saw  that  all  was  safe,  and  with  an  air  of 
great  self-satisfaction,  he  cried,  "  Well — that  was 
neatly  saved,  any  how — it  was  a  lucky  thought  in 
me  to  hold  on  the  reins,  or  the  fiery  devils  wrould 
have  been  over  the  mountain  by  this  time.  How 
well  I  recovered  myself,  cousin  'duke  !  Another 
moment  would  have  been  too  late  ;  but  I  knew 
just  the  spot  where  to  touch  the  off-leader ;  that 
blow  under  his  right  flank,  and  the  sudden  jerk  I 
gave  with  the  reins,  brought  them  round  quite 
handsomely,  I  must  own  myself." 

"  Thou  jerk !  thou  recover  thyself,  Dickon  !" 
criei  the  Judge,  whose  fears  were  all  vanished  in 
mirth  at  the  discomfiture  of  the  party  ;  "  but  for 
that  brave  lad  yonder,  thou  and  thy  horses,  or  ra 
ther  mine,  would  have  assuredly  been  dashed  to 
pieces — But  where  is  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  ?" 


60  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Oh  !  mon  cher  Juge  !  Mon  ami  !"  cried  a 
smothered  voice,  "  praise  be  God  I  live  ;  vill-a 
you,  Mister  Agamemnon,  be  pleased  come  down 
ici,  and  help-a  me  on  my  foot  ?" 

The  divine  and  the  negro  seized  the  incarce 
rated  Gaul  by  his  legs,  and  extricated  him  from  a 
snow-bank  of  three  feet  in  depth,  whence  his  voice 
had  sounded  as  from  the  tombs.  The  thoughts  of 
Mr.  Le  Quoi,  immediately  on  his  liberation^  were 
not  extremely  collected;  and  when  he  reached  the 
light,  he  threw  his  eyes  upwards,  in  order  to  exa 
mine  the  distance  he  had  fallen.  His  good  hu 
mour  returned,  however,  with  a  knowledge  of  his 
safety,  though  it  was  some  little  time  before  he 
clearly  comprehended  the  case. 

"  What,  monsieur,"  said  Richard,  who  was  bu 
sily  assisting  the  black  in  taking  off  the  leaders ; 
c  are  you  there  ?  I  thought  I  saw  you  flying  up 
towards  the  top  of  the  mountain  but  just  now." 

"  Praise  be  God,  I  no  fly  down  into  de  lake," 
returned  the  Frenchman,  with  a  visage  that  was 
divided  between  pain,  occasioned  by  a  few  large 
scratches  that  he  had  received  in  forcing  his  head 
through  the  crust,  and  the  look  of  complaisance  that 
seemed  natural  to  his  pliable  features  :  "  ah  !  mon 
cher  Mister  Deeck,  vat  you  do  next  ? — dere  be 
noting  you  no  try." 

"  The  next  thing,  I  trust,  will  be  to  learn  to 
drive,"  said  the  Judge,  who  had  busied  himself  in 
throwing  the  buck,  together  with  several  articles 
of  his  baggage,  from  his  own  sleigh  into  the  snow  ; 
"  here  are  seats  for  you  all,  gentlemen  ;  the  even 
ing  grows  piercingly  cold,  and  the  hour  approaches 
for  the  service  of  Mr.  Grant :  we  will  leave  friend 
Jones  to  repair  the  damages,  with  the  assistance  of 
Agamemnon,  and  hasten  to  a  warm  fire.  Here, 
Dickon,  are  a  few  articles  of  Bess's  trumpery,  that 


THE    PIONEERS.  61 

you  can  throw  into  your  sleigh  when  ready,  and 
there  is  also  a  deer  of  my  taking,  that  I  will  thank 
you  to  bring — Aggy  !  remember  there  will  be  a 
visit  from  Santaclaus  to  your  stocking  to-night,  if 
you  are  smart  and  careful  about  the  buck,  and  get 
in  in  season." 

The  black  grinned  with  the  consciousness  of  the 
bribe  that  was  thus  offered  him  for  his  silence  on 
the  subject  of  the  deer,  while  Richard,  without  in 
the  least  waiting  for  the  termination  of  his  cousin's 
speech,  at  once  began  his  reply — 

"  Learn  to  drive,  sayest  thou,  cousin  'duke  ?  Is 
there  a  man  in  the  county  who  knows  more  of 
horse-flesh  than  myself?  Who  broke  in  the  filly, 
that  no  one  else  dare  mount  ?  though  your  coach 
man  did  pretend  that  he  had  tamed  her  before  1 
took  her  in  hand,  but  any  body  could  see  that  he 
lied — he  was  a  great  liar,  that  John — what's  that, 
a  buck  ?" — Richard  abandoned  the  horses,  and  ran 
to  the  spot  wThere  Marmaduke  had  thrown  the 
deer :  cc  It  is  a  buck  indeed  !  I  am.  amazed  !  Yes, 
here  are  two  holes  in  him ;  he  has  fired  both  bar 
rels,  and  hit  him  each  time.  Ecod  !  how  Marma 
duke  will  brag !  he  is  a  prodigious  bragger  about 
any  small  matter  like  this  now  ;  well,  well,  to  think 
that  'duke  has  killed  a  buck  before  Christmas 
There  will  be  no  such  thing  as  living  with  him — 
they  are  both  bad  shots  though,  mere  chance — 
mere  chance  ; — now,  I  never  fired  twice  at  a  clo 
ven  hoof  in  my  life  ; — it  is  hit  or  miss  with  me — 
dead  or  runaway  : — had  it  been  a  bear,  or  a  wild 
cat,  a  man  might  have  wanted  both  barrels.  Here  ! 
you  Aggy  !  how  far  off  was  the  Judge  when  this 
buck  was  shot  ?" 

"  Eh  !  Massa  Richard,  may  be  a  ten  rod,"  cried 
the  black,  bending  under  one  of  the  horses,  with 
the  oretence  of  fastening  a  buckle,  but  in  reality 
6 


62  THE    PIONEERS. 

to  conceal  the  broad  grin  that  opened  a  mouth 
from  ear  to  ear. 

"  Ten  rod  !"  echoed  the  other  ;  "  why,  Aggy, 
the  deer  I  killed  last  winter  was  at  twenty — yes  ! 
if  any  thing  it  was  nearer  thirty  than  twenty.  1 
wouldn't  shoot  at  a  deer  at  ten  rod  :  besides,  you 
may  remember,  Aggy,  I  only  fired  once." 

"  Yes,  Massa  Richard,"  I  'member  'em  !  Natty 
Bumppo  fire  t'oder  gun.  You  know,  sir,  the  folk 
say,  Natty  kill  'em." 

"  The  folks  lie,  you  black  devil !"  exclaimed 
Richard  in  great  heat.  "  I  have  not  shot  even  a 
gray  squirrel  these  four  years,  to  which  that  old 
rascal  has  not  laid  claim,  or  some  one  for  him. 
This  is  a  damn'd  envious  world  that  we  live  in — • 
people  are  always  for  dividing  the  credit  of  a  thing, 
in  order  to  bring  down  merit  to  their  own  level. 
Now  they  have  a  story  about  the  Patent,  that  Hi 
ram  Doolittle  helped  to  plan  the  steeple  to  St. 
Paul's  ;  when  Hiram  knows  that  it  is  entirely 
mine  ;  a  little  taken  from  a  print  of  its  namesake 
in  London,  I  own ;  but  all  the  rest  is  mine." 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  come  from,"  said  the 
black,  losing  every  mark  of  humour  in  an  expres 
sion  of  deep  admiration,  "  but  eb'ry  body  say,  he 
wonnerful  hansom'e." 

"  And  well  they  may  say  so,  Aggy,"  cried  Ri 
chard,  leaving  the  buck  and  walking  up  to  the  ne 
gro  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  has  new  interest 
awakened  within  him.  "  I  think  I  may  say,  with 
out  bragging,  that  it  is  the  handsomest  and  the 
most  scientific  country  church  in  America.  I  know 
that  the  Connecticut  settlers  talk  about  their  Wea- 
thersfield  meeting-house  ;  but  I  never  believe  more 
than  half  of  what  they  say,  they  are  such  uncon* 
scionable  braggers.  Just  as  you  have  got  a  thing 
done,  if  they  see  it  likely  to  be  successful,  they 


THE    PIONEERS.  63 

are  always  for  interfering ;  and  then  it's  ten  to  one 
but  they  lay  claim  to  half,  or  even  all  of  the  credit. 
You  may  remember,  Aggy,  when  I  painted  the 
sign  of  the  bold  dragoon  for  Captain  Hollister, 
there  was  that  fellow,  who  was  about  town  laying 
brick  dust  on  the  houses,  came  one  day  and  offered 
to  mix  what  I  call  the  streaky  black,  for  the  tail 
and  mane,  and  then,  because  it  looks  just  like 
horse  hair,  he  tells  every  body  that  the  sign  was 
painted  by  himself  and  Squire  Jones.  If  Marma- 
duke  don't  send  that  fellow  off  the  Patent,  he  may 
ornament  his  village  with  his  own  hands,  for  me." 
Here  Richard  paused  a  moment,  and  cleared  his 
throat  by  a  loud  hem,  while  the  negro,  who  was 
all  this  time  busily  engaged  in  preparing  their 
sleigh,  proceeded  with  his  work  in  respectful  si 
lence.  Owing  to  the  religious  scruples  of  the 
Judge,  Aggy  was  the  servant  of  Richard,  who  had 
his  services  for  a  time,  and  who,  of  course,  com 
manded  a  legal  claim  to  the  respect  of  the  young 
negro.  But  when  any  dispute  between  his  lawful 
master  and  his  real  benefactor  occurred,  the  black 
felt  too  much  deference  for  both  to  express  any 
opinion.  In  the  mean  while,  Richard  continued 
watching  the  negro  as  he  fastened  buckle  after 
buckle,  until,  stealing  a  look  of  consciousness  to 
ward  the  other,  he  continued,  "  Now,  if  that  young 
man,  who  was  in  your  sleigh,  is  a  real  Connecticut 
settler,  he  will  be  telling  every  body  how  he  saved 
my  horses,  when,  if  he  had  just  let  them  alone  for 
one  half  a  minute  longer,  I  would  have  brought 
them  in  much  better,  without  upsetting,  with  the 
whip  and  rein — it  spoils  a  horse  to  give  him  his 
head.  I  should  not  wonder  if  I  had  to  sell  the 
whole  team,  just  for  that  one  jerk  that  he  gave 
them."  Richard  again  paused,  and  again  hem 
med  ;  for  his  conscience  smote  him  a  little,  for 


G4  THE    PIONEERS. 

censuring  a  man  who  had  just  saved  his  life— 
"  Who  is  the  lad,  Aggy — I  don't  remember  to  have 
seen  him  before  ?" 

The  black  recollected  the  hint  about  Santaclaus; 
and  while  he  briefly  explained  how  they  had  taken 
him  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  he  forbore  to  add 
any  thing  concerning  the  acpident  of  the  wound, 
only  saying,  that  he  believed  the  youth  was  a  stran 
ger.  It  was  so  usual  for  men  of  the  first  rank  to 
take  into  their  sleighs  any  one  whom  they  found 
toiling  through  the  snow,  that  Richard  was  per 
fectly  satisfied  with  this  explanation.  He  heard 
Aggy,  with  great  attention,  and  then  remarked, 
"  Well,  if  the  lad  has  not  been  spoiled  by  the 
people  in  Templeton,  he  may  be  a  modest  young 
man,  and  as  he  certainly  meant  well,  I  shall  take 
some  notice  of  him — perhaps  he  is  land-hunting — I 
say,  Aggy — may  be  he  is  out  hunting  ?" 

"  Eh  !  yes,  massa  Richard,"  said  the  black,  a 
little  confused  ;  for  as  Richard  did  all  the  flogging, 
he  stood  in  great  terror  of  his  master,  in  the  main 
— "  yes,  sir,  I  b'lieve  he  be." 

"  Had  he  a  pack  and  an  axe  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  only  he  rifle." 

"  Rifle  !"  exclaimed  Richard,  observing  the  con 
fusion  of  the  negro,  which  now  amounted  to  ter 
ror.  "  By  Jove  !  he  killed  the  deer.  I  knew  that 
Marmaduke  couldn't  kill  a  buck  on  the  jump — 
How  was  it,  Aggy  ?  tell  me  all  about  it,  and  I'll 
roast  'duke  quicker  than  he  can  roast  his  saddle — 
How  was  it,  Aggy  ?  the  lad  shot  the  buck,  and  the 
Judge  bought  it,  ha !  and  is  taking  him  down  to 
get  the  pay  ?" 

The  pleasure  of  this  discovery  had  put  Richard 
in  such  a  good  humour,  that  the  negro's  fears  in 
some  measure  vanished,  and  he  remembered  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  65 

stocking.     After  a  gulp  or  two,  he  made  out  to  re- 

p]y- 

"  You  forgit  a  two  shot,  sir  ?" 

"  Don't  lie,  you  black  rascal !"  cried  Richard, 
stepping  on  the  snow-bank  to  measure  the  distance 
from  his  long  lash  to  the  negro's  back ;  "  speak 
the  truth,  or  I'll  trounce  you."  While  speaking, 
the  stock  was  slowly  rising  in  Richard's  right  hand 
and  the  lash  drawing  through  his  left,  in  the  scien 
tine  manner  with  which  drummers  apply  the  cat. 
and  Agamemnon,  after  turning  each  side  of  him 
self  towards  his  master,  and  finding  all  equally  un 
willing  to  remain  there,  forgetful  of  his  great  name, 
fairly  gave  in.  In  a  very  few  words  he  made  his 
master  acquainted  with  the  truth,  at  the  same  time 
earnestly  conjuring  Richard  to  protect  him  from 
the  displeasure  of  the  Judge. 

"  I'll  do  it,  boy,  I'll  do  it,"  cried  the  other,  rub- 
bing  his  hands  with  delight ;  "  say  nothing,  but 
leave  me  to  manage  'duke — I  have  adamn'd  great 
mind  to  leave  the  deer  on  the  hill,  and  to  make 
the  fellow  send  for  his  own  carcass :  but  no,  I  wiD 
let  Marmaduke  tell  a  few  bouncers  about  it  before 
I  come  out  upon  him.  Come,  hurry  in,  Aggjr,  I 
must  help  to  dress  the  lad's  wound  ;  this  Yankee 
doctor  knows  nothing  of  surgery — I  had  to  hold 
old  Milligan's  leg  for  him,  while  he  cut  it  off." — 
Richard  was  now  seated  on  the  stool  again,  and 
the  black  taking  the  hind  seat,  the  steeds  were  put 
in  motion  towards  home.  As  they  dashed  down 
the  hill,  on  a  fast  trot,  the  driver  occasionally  turn 
ed  his  face  to  Aggy,  and  continued  speaking ;  for 
notwithstanding  their  recent  rupture,  the  most 
perfect  cordiality  was  again  existing  between  them. 
"  This  goes  to  prove  that  I  turned  the  horses  with 
the  reins,  for  no  man  who  is  shot  in  the  right 
shoulder,  can  have  strength  enough  to  bring  round 


66  THE    PIONEERS. 

such  obstinate  devils.  I  knew  I  did  it  from  the 
first ;  but  I  did  not  want  to  multiply  words  with 
Marmaduke  about  it — Will  you  bite,  you  villain  ? — • 
hip,  boys,  hip  !  Old  Natty  too,  that  is  the  best  of 
it — Well,  well — 'duke  will  say  no  more  about  my 
deer — and  the  Judge  fired  both  barrels,  and  hit 
nothing  but  a  poor  lad,  who  was  behind  a  pine- 
tree.  I  must  help  that  quack  to  take  out  the  buck 
shot  for  the  poor  fellow."  In  this  manner  Ri 
chard  descended  the  mountain  ;  the  bells  ringing, 
and  his  tongue  going,  until  they  entered  the  vil 
lage,  when  the  whole  attention  of  the  driver  was 
devoted  to  a  display  of  his  horsemanship,  to  the 
admiration  of  all  the  gaping  women  and  children 
who  thronged  the  windows  to  witness  the  arrival 
of  their  tondlord  and  his  daughter. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Nathaniol's  coat,  sir,  was  not  fully  made, 
And  Gabriel's  pumps  were  all  unfinished  i'  tfa'  heel; 
There  was  no  link  to  colour  Peter's  hat, 
And  Walter's  dagger  was  not  come  from  sheathing : 
There  were  none  fine,  but  Adam,  Ralph,  and  Gregory 
Shakspeare. 


AFTER  winding  along  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
the  road,  on  reaching  the  gentle  declivity  which 
lay  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  turned  at  a  right  angle 
to  its  former  course,  and  shot  down  an  inclined 
plane,  directly  into  the  village  of  Templeton.  The 
rapid  little  stream,  that  we  have  already  mention 
ed,  was  crossed  by  a  bridge  of  hewn  timber,  which 
manifested,  by  its  rude  construction,  and  the  unne 
cessary  size  of  its  frame-work,  both  the  value  of 
labour  and  the  abundance  of  materials.  This  little 
torrent,  whose  dark  waters  gushed  in  mimic  tur 
bulence  over  the  limestones  that  lined  its  bottom, 
was  nothing  less  than  one  of  the  many  sources  of 
the  Susquehanna  ;  a  river,  to  which  the  Atlantic 
herself  has  extended  her  right  arm,  to  welcome 
?nto  her  bosom.  It  was  at  this  point,  that  the 
powerful  team  of  Mr.  Jones  brought  him  up  to  the 
more  sober  steeds  of  our  travellers.  A  small  hill 
was  risen,  and  the  astonished  Elizabeth  found 
herself  at  once  amid  the  incongruous  dwellings 
of  the  village.  The  street  was  laid  out  of  the 
width  of  an  ordinary  avenue  to  a  city,  notwith- 


68  THE    PIONEERS. 

standing  that  the  eye  might  embrace,  in  one  view 
thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  acres,  that 
were  yet  tenanted  only  by  the  beasts  of  the  forest. 
But  such  had  been  the  will  of  her  father,  and  such 
had  also  met  the  wishes  of  his  followers.  To  them, 
the  road,  that  made  the  most  rapid  approaches  to 
the  condition  of  the  old,  or,  as  they  expressed  it, 
the  down  countries,  was  the  most  pleasant ;  and 
surely  nothing  could  look  more  like  civilization 
than  a  city,  even  if  it  lay  in  a  wilderness !  The 
width  of  the  street,  for  so  it  was  called,  might  have 
been  one  hundred  feet;  but  the  track  for  the 
sleighs  was  much  more  limited.  On  either  side 
of  the  highway  were  piled  before  the  houses  huge 
heaps  of  logs,  that  were  daily  increasing  rather 
than  diminishing  in  size,  notwithstanding  the  enor 
mous  fires  that  might  be  seen  lighting  every  win 
dow  through  the  dusk  of  the  evening. 

The  last  object  at  which  Elizabeth  had  gazed 
when  they  renewed  their  journey,  after  the  ren 
contre  with  Richard,  was  the  sun,  as  it  expanded 
in  the  refraction  of  the  horizon,  and  over  whose 
disk  the  dark  umbrage  of  a  pine  was  stealing,  while 
it  slowly  sunk  behind  the  western  hills.  But  his 
setting  rays  darted  along  the  openings  of  the  moun 
tain  she  was  on,  and  lighted  the  shining  covering 
of  the  birches,  until  their  smooth  and  glossy  coats 
nearly  rivalled  the  mountain-sides  in  colour.  The 
outline  of  each  dark  pine  was  delineated  far  in  the 
depths  of  the  forest ;  and  the  rocks,  too  smooth 
and  too  perpendicular  to  retain  the  snow  that  had 
fallen,  brightened,  as  if  smiling  in  scorn  at  the 
changes  in  the  season.  But  at  each  step,  as  they 
descended,  Elizabeth  observed  that  they  were 
leaving  the  day  behind  them.  Even  the  heartless, 
but  bright  rays  of  a  December  sun  were  missed, 
as  they  glided  into  the  cold  gloom  of  the  valley- 


THE    PIONEERS.  69 

Along  the  summits  of  the  mountains  in  the  eastern 
range,  it  is  true,  that  the  light  still  lingered,  reced 
ing  step  by  step  from  the  earth  into  the  few  clouds 
that  were  gathering,  with  the  evening  mist,  about 
the  limited  horizon ;  but  the  frozen  lake  lay  with 
out  a  shadow  on  its  chill  bosom;  the  dwellings 
were  becoming  already  gloomy  and  indistinct ;  and 
the  wood-cutters  were  shouldering  their  axes,  and 
preparing  to  enjoy,  throughout  the  long  evening 
before  them,  the  comforts  of  those  exhilarating 
fires  that  their  labour  had  been  supplying  with  fuel. 
They  paused  only  to  gaze  at  the  passing  sleighs, 
to  lift  their  caps  to  Marmaduke,  to'  exchange  fa 
miliar  nods  with  Richard,  and  each  disappeared  in 
his  dwelling.  The  paper  curtains  dropped  behind 
our  travellers  in  every  window,  shutting  from  the 
air  even  the  fire-light  of  their  cheerful  apartments ; 
and  when  the  horses  of  her  father  turned,  with  a 
rapid  whirl,  into  the  open  gate  of  the  mansion- 
house,  and  nothing  stood  before  her  but  the  cold, 
dreary  stone-walls  of  the  building,  as  she  approach 
ed  them  through  an  avenue  of  young  and  leafless 
poplars,  Elizabeth  felt  as  if  all  the  loveliness  of  the 
mountain-view  had  vanished  like  the  fancies  of  a 
dream.  Marmaduke  retained  so  much  of  his  early 
habits  as  to  reject  the  use  of  bells,  but  the  equi 
page  of  Mr.  Jones  came  dashing  through  the  gate 
after  them,  sending  its  jingling  sounds  through 
every  cranny  in  the  building,  and  in  a  moment  the 
dwelling  was  in  an  uproar. 

On  a  stone  platform,  of  rather  small  proportions, 
considering  the  size  of  the  building,  Richard  and 
Hiram  had,  conjointly,  reared  four  little  columns 
of  wood,  which  in  their  turn  supported  the  shingled 
roofs  of  the  portico — this  was  the  name  that  Mr. 
Jones  had  thought  proper  to  give  to  a  very  plain, 
covered  entrance  to  the  mansion.  The  ascent  to 


70  THE   PIONEERS. 

the  platform  was  by  five  or  six  stone  steps,  some 
what  hastily  laid  together,  in  which  the  frost  had 
already  begun  to  move  from  their  symmetrical  po 
sitions.  But  the  evils  of  a  cold  climate,  and  a  su 
perficial  construction,  did  not  end  here.  As  the 
steps  lowered,  the  platform  necessarily  fell  also, 
and  the  foundations  actually  left  the  superstructure 
suspended  in  the  air,  leaving  an  open  space  of  a 
foot  from  the  base  of  the  pillars  to  the  bases  on 
which  they  had  originally  been  placed.  It  was 
lucky  for  the  whole  fabric,  that  the  carpenter,  who 
did  the  manual  part  of  the  labour,  had  fastened  the 
canopy  of  this  classic  entrance  so  firmly  to  the  side 
of  the  house,  that,  when  the  base  deserted  the  su 
perstructure  in  the  manner  we  have  described,  and 
the  pillars,  for  the  want  of  a  foundation,  were  no 
longer  of  service  to  support  the  roof,  the  roof  was 
able  to  uphold  the  pillars.  Here  was  indeed  an 
unfortunate  gap  left  in  the  ornamental  part  of  Ri 
chard's  column ;  but  like  the  window  in  Aladdin's 
palace,  it  seemed  only  left  in  order  to  prove  the 
fertility  of  its  master's  resources.  The  composite 
order  again  offered  its  advantages,  and  a  second 
edition  of  the  base  was  given,  as  the  booksellers 
say,  with  additions  and  improvements.  It  was  ne 
cessarily  larger,  and  it  was  properly  ornamented 
with  mouldings :  still  the  steps  continued  to  yield, 
and,  at  the  moment  when  Elizabeth  returned  to 
her  father's  door,  a  few  rough  wedges  were  driven 
under  the  pillars  to  keep  them  steady,  and  to  pre 
vent  their  weight  from  separating  them  from  the 
pediment  which  they  ought  to  have  supported 

From  the  great  door,  which  opened  into  the 
porch,  emerged  two  or  three  female  domestics,  and 
one  male.  The  latter  was  bare-headed,  but  evi 
dently  more  dressed  than  usual,  and  in  the  whole, 
was  of  so  singular  a  formation  and  attire,  as  to  de- 


THE    PIONEERS.  71 

serve  a  more  minute  description.  He  was  about 
five  feet  in  height,  of  a  square  and  athletic  frame, 
with  a  pair  of  shoulders  that  would  have  fitted  a 
grenadier.  His  low  stature  was  rendered  the  more 
striking  by  a  bend  forward  that  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  assuming,  for  no  apparent  reason,  unless  it  might 
be  in  order  to  give  a  greater  freedom  to  his  arms, 
in  a  particularly  sweeping  swing,  that  they  con 
stantly  practised  when  their  master  was  in  motion. 
His  face  was  long,  of  a  fair  complexion,  burnt  to  a 
fiery  red  ;  with  a  snub  nose,  cocked  into  an  inve 
terate  pug ;  a  mouth  of  enormous  dimensions,  filled 
with  fine  teeth ;  and  a  pair  of  blue  eyes,  that 
seemed  to  look  about  them,  on  surrounding  objects, 
with  vast  contempt.  His  head  composed  full  one- 
fourth  of  his  whole  length,  and  the  queue  that  de 
pended  from  its  rear  occupied  another.  He  wore 
a  coat  of  very  light  drab  cloth,  with  buttons  as 
large  as  dollars,  bearing  the  impression  of  a  "  foul 
anchor."  The  skirts  were  extremely  long,  reach 
ing  quite  to  the  calf,  and  were  broad  in  proportion. 
Beneath,  there  were  a  vest  and  breeches  of  red 
plush,  somewhat  worn  and  soiled.  He  had  shoes 
with  large  buckles,  and  stockings  of  blue  and  white 
stripes. 

This  odd-looking  figure  reported  himself  to  be 
a  native  of  the  county  of  Cornwall,  in  the  island 
of  Great  Britain.  His  boyhood  had  passed  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  tin  mines,  and  his  youth  as 
the  cabin-boy  of  a  smuggler,  between  Falmouth 
and  Guernsey.  From  this  trade  he  was  impressed 
into  the  service  of  his  king,  and,  for  the  want  of  a 
better,  had  been  taken  into  the  cabin,  first  as  a 
servant,  and  finally  as  steward  to  the  captain. 
Here  he  acquired  the  art  of  making  chowder,  lob- 
skous,  and  one  or  two  other  sea-dishes,  and,  as  he 
was  fond  of  saying,  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 


72  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  world.  With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  out- 
ports  in  France,  and  an  occasional  visit  to  Ports 
mouth,  Plymouth,  and  Deal,  he  had  in  reality  seen 
no  more  of  mankind,  however,  than  if  he  had  been 
riding  a  donkey  in  one  of  his  native  mines.  But, 
being  discharged  from  the  navy  at  the  peace  of  'S3, 
he  declared,  that,  as  he  had  seen  all  the  civilized 
parts  of  the  world,  he  was  inclined  to  a  trip  to  the 
wilds  of  America.  We  will  not  trace  him  in  his 
brief  wanderings,  under  the  influence  of  that  spirit 
of  emigration,  that  sometimes  induces  a  dapper 
Cockney  to  quit  his  home,  and  lands  him,  before 
the  sound  of  Bow  bells  is  fairly  out  of  his  ears, 
within  the  roar  of  the  cataract  of  Niagara,  but  shall 
only  add,  that,  at  a  very  early  day,  even  before 
Elizabeth  had  been  sent  to  school,  he  had  found 
his  way  into  the  family  of  Marmaduke  Temple, 
where,  owing  to  a  combination  of  qualities,  he 
held,  under  Mr.  Jones,  the  office  of  major-domo, 
The  name  of  this  worthy  was  Benjamin  Penguil- 
lan,  according  to  his  own  pronunciation  ;  but,  ow 
ing  to  a  marvellous  tale  that  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  relating,  concerning  the  length  of  time  he  had 
to  labour  to  keep  his  ship  from  sinking  after  Rod 
ney's  victory,  he  had  universally  acquired  the  nick 
name  of  Ben  Pump. 

By  the  side  of  Benjamin,  and  pressing  forward 
as  if  a  little  jealous  of  her  station,  stood  a  middle- 
aged  woman,  dressed  in  calico,  rather  violently 
contrasted  in  colour,  with  a  tall,  meager,  shapeless 
figure,  sharp  features,  and  a  somewhat  acute  ex 
pression  in  her  physiognomy.  Her  teeth  were 
mostly  gone,  and  what  did  remain  were  of  a  light 
yellow.  The  skin  of  her  nose  was  drawn  tightly 
over  the  member,  and  then  suffered  to  hang  in 
large  wrinkles  in  her  cheeks  and  about  her  mouth. 
She  took  snuff  in  such  large  quantities,  as  to  ere- 


THE    PIONEERS.  73 

ate  the  impression,  that  she  owed  the  saffron  of 
her  lips  and  the  adjacent  parts,  to  this  circum 
stance  ;  but  it  was  the  unvarying  colour  of  her 
whole  face.  She  presided  over  the  female  part  of 
the  domestic  arrangements,  in  the  capacity  of  house 
keeper  ;  was  a  spinster,  and  bore  the  name  of  Re 
markable  Pettibone.  To  Elizabeth  she  was  an 
entire  stranger,  having  been  introduced  into  the 
family  since  the  death  of  her  mother. 

In  addition  to  these,  were  three  or  four  subor 
dinate  menials,  mostly  black,  some  appearing  at 
the  principal  door,  and  some  running  from  the  end 
of  the  building,  where  stood  the  entrance  to  the 
cellar-kitchen. 

Besides  these,  there  was  a  general  rush  from 
Richard's  kennel,  accompanied  with  every  canine 
tone,  from  the  howl  of  the  wolf-dog  to  the  petu 
lant  bark  of  the  terrier.  The  master  received 
their  boisterous  salutations  with  a  variety  of  imi 
tations  from  his  own  throat,  when  the  dogs,  pro 
bably  from  shame  at  being  outdone,  ceased  their 
outcry.  One  stately,  powerful  mastiff,  who  wore 
around  his  neck  a  brass  collar,  with  "  M.  T."  en 
graved  in  large  letters  on  the  rim,  alone  was  si 
lent.  He  walked  majestically,  amid  the  confusion, 
to  the  side  of  the  Judge,  where,  receiving  a  kind 
pat  or  two,  he  turned  to  Elizabeth,  wrho  even 
stooped  to  kiss  him,  as  she  called  him  kindly  by  the 
name  of  "  Old  Brave."  The  animal  seemed  to 
know  her,  as  she  ascended  the  steps,  supported  by 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi  and  her  father,  in  order  to  pro 
tect  her  from  falling  on  the  ice,  with  which  they 
were  covered.  He  looked  wistfully  after  her 
figure,  and  when  the  door  closed  on  the  whole 
party,  he  laid  himself  in  a  kennel  that  was  placed 
nigh  by,  as  if  conscious  that  the  house  contained 
something  of  additional  value  to  guard. 


74  THE    PIONEERS. 

Elizabeth  followed  her  father,  who  paused  mo 
ment  to  whisper  a  message  to  one  o  his  dt/mes- 
tics,  into  a  large  hall,  that  was  dimly  lighted  by 
two  candles,  placed  in  high,  old-fashioned,  brass 
candlesticks.  The  door  closed,  and  the  party  were 
at  once  removed  from  an  atmosphere  that  was 
nearly  at  zero,  to  one  of  sixty  degrees  above.  In 
the  centre  of  the  hall  stood  an  enormous  stove,  the 
sides  of  which  appeared  to  be  quivering  with  the 
heat  it  emitted  ;  from  which  a  large,  straight  pipe, 
leading  through  the  ceiling  above,  carried  off  the 
smoke.  An  iron  basin,  containing  water,  was 
placed  on  this  furnace,  for  such  only  it  could  be 
called,  in  order  to  preserve  a  proper  humidity  in 
the  apartment.  The  room  was  carpeted,  and  fur 
nished  with  convenient,  substantial  furniture,  of  a 
great  variety  in  its  appearance  and  materials ;  some 
of  which  was  brought  from  the  city,  and  the  re 
mainder  manufactured  by  the  mechanics  of  Tem- 
pleton.  There  was  a  sideboard  of  mahogany,  in 
laid  writh  ivory,  and  bearing  enormous  handles  of 
glittering  brass,  and  groaning  under  piles  of  silver 
plate.  Near  it  stood  a  set  of  prodigious  tables, 
made  of  the  wild  cherry,  to  imitate  tlje  imported 
wood  of  the  sideboard,  but  plain,  and  without  or 
nament  of  any  kind.  Opposite  to  these  stood  a 
smaller  table,  formed  from  a  lighter  coloured  wood, 
through  the  grains  of  which  the  wavy  lines  of  the 
curled-maple  of  the  mountains  were  undulating  in 
precise  regularity.  Near  to  this,  in  a  corner,  stood 
a  heavy,  old-fashioned,  brass-faced  clock,  encased 
in  a  high  box,  with  the  dark  hue  of  the  black-wal 
nut  from  the  seashore.  An  enormous  settee,  or 
sofa,  covered  with  light  chintz,  stretched  along  the 
walls  for  near  twenty  feet  on  one  skie  of  the  hall, 
and  chairs  of  wood,  painted  a  light  yellow,  with 
black  lines  that  were  drawn  by  no  very  steady 


THE    PIONEERS.  75 

hand,  were  ranged  opposite,  and  in  the  .ntervals 
between  the  other  pieces  of  furniture.  A  Fahren 
heit's  thermometer,  in  a  mahogany  case,  and  with 
a  barometer  annexed,  was  hung  against  the  wall, 
at  some  little  distance  from  the  stove,  which  Ben 
jamin  consulted,  every  half-hour,  with  prodigious 
veneration.  Two  small  glass  chandeliers  were 
suspended  at  equal  distances  between  the  stove 
and  the  outer  doors,  one  of  which  opened  at  either 
end  of  the  hall,  and  gilt  lustres  were  affixed  to  the 
frame-work  of  the  numerous  side  doors  that  led 
from  the  apartment.  Some  little  display  in  archi 
tecture  had  been  made  in  constructing  these 
frames  and  casings,  which  were  surmounted  with 
pediments,  that  bore  each  a  little  pedestal  in  its 
centre.  On  these  pedestals  were  small  busts  in 
blacked  plaster  of  Paris.  The  style  of  the  pedes 
tals,  as  well  as  the  selection  of  the  busts,  had  been 
executed  under  the  auspices  of  Mr.  Jones.  On 
one  stood  Homer,  a  most  striking  likeness,  Richard 
affirmed,  "  as  any  one  might  see,  for  it  was  blind." 
Another  bore  the  image  of  a  smooth  visaged  gen 
tleman,  with  a  pointed  beard,  whom  he  called 
Shakspeare.  A  third  ornament  was  an  urn,  which, 
from  its  shape,  Richard  was  accustomed  to  say, 
intended  to  represent  itself  as  holding  the  ashes 
of  Dido  A  fourth  was  certainly  old  Franklin,  in 
his  cap  and  spectacles.  A  filth  as  surely  bore  the 
dignified  composure  of  the  face  of  Washington.  A 
sixth  was  a  non  descript,  representing  "a  man 
with  a  shirt-collar  open,"  to  use  the  language  of 
Richard,  "  with  a  laurel  on  hie  head  ; — it  was  Ju 
lius  Caesar  or  Dr.  Faustus  ;  there  were  good  rea 
sons  for  believing  either." 

The  walls  were  hung  with  a  dark,  lead-coloured 
English  paper,  that  represented  Britannia  weeping 
ov^r  the  tomb  of  Wolfe.  The  hero  himself  stood 


76  THE    PIONSERS. 

at  a  little  distance  from  the  mourning  goddess,  at 
the  edge  of  the  paper.  Each  width  contained  the 
figure,  with  the  slight  exception  of  one  arm  of  the 
General  running  over  on  to  the  next  piece,  so  that 
when  Richard  essayed,  with  his  own  hands,  to  put 
together  this  delicate  outline,  some  difficulties  oc 
curred,  that  prevented  a  nice  conjunction,  and 
Britannia  had  reason  to  lament,  in  addition  to  the 
loss  of  her  favourite's  life,  numberless  cruel  ampu 
tations  of  his  right  arm. 

The  luckless  cause  of  these  unnatural  divisions 
announced  his  presence  in  the  hall  by  a  loud  crack 
of  his  whip,  that  startled  the  party,  and  his  voice 
was  first  heard,  exclaiming — 

"  Why,  Benjamin !  you  Ben  Pump  !  is  this  the 
manner  in  which  you  receive  the  heiress  ?  Excuse 
him,  cousin  Elizabeth.  The  arrangements  were 
too  delicate  and  nice  to  be  trusted  to  every  one  : 
but  now  I  am  here,  things  will  go  on  better.  Come, 
light  up,  Mr.  Penguillan,  light  up,  light  up,  and 
let  us  see  one  another's  faces.  Well,  'duke,  I 
have  brought  home  your  deer;  what  is  to  be  done 
with  it,  ha  ?" 

"  By  the  lord,  Squire,"  commenced  Benjamin 
in  reply,  first  giving  his  mouth  a  wipe  with  the 
back  of  his  hand,  "  if  this  here  thing  had  been  or 
dered  sum'at  earlier  in  the  day,  it  might  have  been 
got  up,  d'ye  see,  to  your  liking.  I  had  mustered 
all  hands,  and  was  exercising  candles,  when  you 
hove  in  sight ;  but  when  the  women  heard  your 
bells,  they  started  an  end,  as  if  they  were  riding 
the  boatswain's  colt ;  and,  if-so-be  there  is  that 
man  in  the  house,  who  can  bring  up  a  parcel  of 
women  when  they  have  got  headway  on  them,  un 
til  they've  run  out  the  end  of  their  rope,  his  name 
is  not  Benjamin  Pump.  But  Miss  Betsy  here  must 
have  altered  more  than  a  privateer  in  disguise. 


THE    PIONEERS.  77 

since  she  has  got  on  her  woman's  duds,  if  she  will 
go  to  take  offence  with  an  old  fellow,  for  the  small 
matter  of  lighting  a  few  candles." 

Elizabeth  and  her  father  continued  silent,  for 
both  experienced  the  same  sensations  on  entering 
the  hall.  The  former  had  resided  one  year  in  the 
building  before  she  left  home  for  the  school,  and 
the  figure  of  its  late  lamented  mistress  was  missed 
by  both  the  husband  and  the  child. 

But  candles  had  been  placed  in  the  chandeliers 
and  lustres,  and  the  attendants  were  so  far  reco 
vered  from  their  surprise  as  to  recollect  their  use  : 
the  oversight  was  immediately  remedied,  and  in  a 
minute  the  apartment  was  in  a  blaze  of  light. 

The  slight  melancholy  of  our  heroine  and  her 
father  was  banished  by  this  brilliant  interruption ; 
and  the  whole  party  began  to  lay  aside  the  num 
berless  garments  that  they  had  worn  in  the  air. 

During  this  operation,  Richard  kept  up  a  desul 
tory  dialogue  with  the  different  domestics,  occa 
sionally  throwing  out  a  remark  to  the  Judge  con 
cerning  the  deer;  but  as  his  conversation  at 
such  moments  was  much  like  an  accompaniment 
on  a  piano,  a  thing  that  is  heard  without  being  at 
tended  to,  we  will  not  undertake  the  task  of  re 
cording  his  wonderfully  diffuse  discourse. 

The  instant  that  Remarkable  Pettibone  had  exe 
cuted  her  portion  of  the  labour  in  illuminating,  she 
returned  to  a  position  near  Elizabeth,  with  the  ap 
parent  motive  of  receiving  the  clothes  that  the 
other  threw  aside,  but  in  reality  to  examine,  with 
an  air  of  mingled  curiosity  and  jealousy,  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  lady  who  was  to  supplant  her  in 
the  administration  of  their  domestic  economy.  The 
housekeeper  felt  a  little  appalled,  when,  after 
cloaks,  coats,  shawls,  and  socks  had  been  taken  off 
in  succession,  the  large  black  hood  was  removed, 
7* 


78  THE    PIONEERS. 

and  the  dark  ringlets,  shining  like  the  raven's  wing, 
fell  from  her  head,  and  left  the  sweet  but  com 
manding  features  of  the  young  lady  exposed  to 
view.  Nothing  could  be  fairer  and  more  spotless 
than  the  forehead  of  Elizabeth,  and  preserve  the 
appearance  of  life  and  health.  Her  nose  would 
have  been  called  Grecian,  but  for  a  softly  round 
ed  swell,  that  gave  in  character  to  the  feature  what 
it  lost  in  beauty.  Her  mouth,  at  first  sight,  seem 
ed  only  made  for  love  ;  but  the  instant  that  its 
muscles  moved,  every  expression  that  womanly 
dignity  could  utter  played  around  it  with  the 
flexibility  of  female  grace.  It  spoke  not  only  to 
the  ear,  but  to  the  eye.  So  much,  added  to  a  form 
of  exquisite  proportions,  rather  full  and  rounded 
for  her  years,  and  of  the  tallest  medium  height, 
she  inherited  from  her  mother.  Even  the  colour 
of  her  eye,  the  arched  brows,  and  the  long  silken 
lashes,  came  from  the  same  source  ;  but  its  expres 
sion  was  her  father's.  Inert  and  composed,  it  was 
soft,  benevolent,  and  attractive ;  but  it  could  be 
roused,  and  that  without  much  difficulty.  At  such 
moments  it  was  still  beautiful,  though  it  was  beau 
ty  in  its  grandeur.  As  the  last  shawl  fell  aside, 
and  she  stood  dressed  in  a  rich  blue  riding-habit, 
that  fitted  her  form  with  the  nicest  exactness  ;  her 
cheeks  burning  with  roses,  that  bloomed  the  riches 
for  the  heat  of  the  hall,  and  her  eyes  slightly  suf 
fused  with  moisture,  that  rendered  their  ordinary 
beauty  more  dazzling,  and  with  every  feature  of 
her  speaking  countenance  illuminated  by  the  lights 
that  flared  around  her,  Remarkable  felt  that  her 
own  power  had  ended. 

The  business  of  unrobing  had  been  simultaneous 
Marmaduke  appeared  in  a  suit  of  plain  neat  black ; 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  in  a  coat  of  snuff  colour,  cover 
ing  a  vest  of  embroidery,  with  breeches,  and  silk 


THE    PIONEERS.  79 

stockings,  and  buckles — that  were  commonly 
thought  to  be  of  paste.  Major  Hurtmann  wore  a 
coat  of  sky-blue,  with  large  brass  buttons,  a  club 
wig,  and  boots  ;  and  Mr.  Richard  Jones  had  set 
off  his  dapper  little  form  in  a  frock  of  bottle-green, 
with  ballet  buttons ;  by  one  of  which  the  sides 
were  united  over  his  well-rounded  waist,  opening 
above,  so  as  to  show  a  jacket  of  red  cloth,  with  an 
under-vest  of  flannel,  faced  with  green  velvet,  and 
below,  so  as  to  exhibit  a  pair  of  buckskin  breeches, 
with  long,  soiled,  white-top  boots,  and  spurs ;  one 
of  the  latter  a  little  bent,  from  its  recent  attacks  on 
the  unfortunate  stool. 

When  the  young  lady  had  extricated  herself 
from  the  duresse  of  her  garments,  she  was  at  liber 
ty  to  gaze  about  her,  and  to  examine  not  only  the 
household  over  which  she  was  to  preside,  but  also 
the  air  and  manner  in  which  their  domestic  ar 
rangements  were  conducted.  Although  there  was 
much  incongruity  in  the  furniture  and  appearance 
of  the  hall,  there  was  nothing  mean.  The  floor 
was  carpeted,  even  in  its  remotest  corners.  The 
brass  candlesticks,  the  gilt  lustres,  and  the  glass 
chandeliers,  whatever  might  be  their  keeping  as  to 
propriety  and  taste,  were  admirably  kept  as  to 
all  the  purposes  of  use  and  comfort.  They  were 
all  clean,  and  each  glittering,  in  the  strong  light  of 
the  apartment,  with  its  peculiar  lustre.  Compared 
with  the  chill  aspect  of  the  December  night  with 
out,  the  warmth  and  brilliancy  of  the  apartment 
produced  an  effect  that  was*  not  unlike  enchant 
ment.  Her  eye  had  not  time  to  detect  in  detail  the 
little  errors,  which,  in  truth,  existed,  but  was  glan 
cing  around  her  in  delight,  when  an  object  arrester, 
her  view,  that  was  strongly  contrasted  to  the  smil 
ing  faces  and  neatly  attired  personages  who  had  thus 
assembled  to  do  honour  to  the  heiress  of  Templeton 


80  THE    PIONEERS. 

In  a  corner  of  the  hall,  near  to  the  grand  en 
trance,  stood  the  young  hunter,  unnoticed,  and  for 
the  moment  apparently  forgotten.  But  even  the 
forgetfulness  of  the  Judge,  which,  under  the  influ 
ence  of  strong  emotion,  had  banished  the  recollec 
tion  of  the  wound  of  this  stranger,  seemed  surpass 
ed  by  the  absence  of  mind  in  the  youth  himself. 
On  entering  the  apartment  he  had  mechanically 
lifted  his  cap,  and  exposed  a  head,  covered  with 
hair  that  rivalled  in  colour  and  gloss  the  locks  of 
Elizabeth.  Nothing  could  have  wrought  a  greater 
transformation,  than  the  single  act  of  removing  the 
rough  fox-skin  cap.  If  there  was  much  that  was 
prepossessing  in  the  countenance  of  the  young 
hunter,  there  was  something  noble  in  the  rounded 
outlines  of  his  head  and  brow.  The  very  air  and 
manner  with  which  the  member  haughtily  main 
tained  itself  over  the  coarse  and  even  wild  attire, 
in  which  the  rest  of  his  frame  was  clad,  bespoke 
not  only  familiarity  with  a  splendour  that  in  those 
new  settlements  was  thought  to  be  unequalled,  but 
something  very  like  contempt  also. 

The  hand  that  held  the  cap  rested  lightly  on 
the  little  ivory-mounted  piano  of  Elizabeth,  with 
neither  rustic  restraint,  nor  obtrusive  vulgarity. 
A  single  finger  touched  the  instrument,  as  if  ac 
customed  to  dwell  on  such  places.  His  other  arm 
was  extended  to  its  utmost  length,  and  the  hand 
grasped  the  barrel  of  his  long  rifle,  with  something 
like  convulsive  energy.  The  act  and  the  attitude 
were  both  involuntary,  and  evidently  proceeded 
from  a  feeling  much  deeper  than  that  of  vulgar  sur 
prise.  His  appearance,  connected  as  it  was  with 
the  rough  exterior  of  his  dress,  rendered  him  en 
tirely  distinct  from  the  busy  group  that  were  mov 
ing  across  the  other  end  of  the  long  hall,  occupied 
in  receiving  the  travellers,  and  exchanging  then 


THE    PIONEERS.  SI 

welcomes ;  and  Elizabeth,  herself  as  much  an  ob 
ject  to  be  looked  at  by  others,  continued  to  gaze 
at  him  in  a  kind  of  stupid  wonder.  The  contrac 
tion  of  the  stranger's  brows  increased,  as  his  eyes 
moved  slowly  from  one  object  to  another.  For 
moments  the  expression  of  his  countenance  was 
fierce,  and  then  again  it  seemed  to  pass  away  in 
some  painful  emotion.  The  arm,  that  was  extend 
ed,  bent,  and  brought  the  hand  nigh  to  his  face, 
when  his  head  dropped  upon  it,  and  concealed  the 
wonderfully  speaking  lineaments  of  his  features. 

"  We  forget,  dear  sir,  the  strange  gentleman," 
(for  her  life  Elizabeth  could  not  call  him  other 
wise,)  "  whom  we  have  brought  here  for  assist 
ance,  and  to  whom  we  owe  every  attention." 

All  eyes  were  instantly  turned  in  the  direction 
of  those  of  the  speaker,  and  the  youth,  rather 
proudly,  elevated  his  head  again,  while  he  an 
swered — 

"  My  wound  is  trifling,  and  I  believe  that  Judge 
Temple  sent  for  a  physician  the  moment  we  ar- 
lived." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Marmaduke  ;  "  I  have  not  for 
gotten  the  object  of  thy  visit,  young  man,  nor  the 
nature  of  my  debt  to  thee." 

"  Oh !"  exclaimed  Richard,  with  something  of 
a  waggish  leer,  "  thou  owest  the  lad  for  the  veni 
son,  I  suppose,  that  thou  killed,  cousin  'duke  !  Mar 
maduke  !  Marmaduke !  That  was  a  marvellous 
tale  of  thine  about  the  buck !  Here,  young  man, 
are  two  dollars  for  the  deer,  and  Judge  Temple 
can  do  no  less  than  pay  the  doctor.  I  shall  charge 
you  nothing  for  my  services,  but  you  shall  not  fare 
the  worse  for  that.  Come,  come,  'duke,  don't  be 
down-hearted  about  it ;  if  you  missed  the  buck, 
you  contrived  to  shoot  this  poor  fellcw  through  a 


82          •  THE    PIONEERS. 

pine-tree,  Now  I  own  that  you  have  beat  me  j 
1  never  did  such  a  thing  in  all  my  life." 

"  And  I  hope  never  will,"  returned  the  Judge, 
"  if  you  are  to  experience  the  uneasiness  that  I 
have  suffered.  But  be  of  good  cheer,  my  young 
friend,  the  injury  must  be  but  small,  as  thou  movest 
thy  arm  with  apparent  freedom." 

"  Don't  make  the  matter  worse,  'duke,  by  pre 
tending  to  talk  about  surgery,"  interrupted  Mr. 
Jones,  with  a  contemptuous  wave  of  the  hand  ; 
"  it  is  a  science  that  can  only  be  learnt  by  practice. 
You  know  that  my  grandfather  was  a  doctor,  but 
you  haven't  got  a  drop  of  medical  blood  in  your 
veins ;  these  kind  of  things  run  in  families.  All  my 
family  by  the  father's  side  had  a  knack  at  physic. 
There  was  my  uncle  that  was  killed  at  Brandy- 
wine,  he  died  twice  as  easy  as  any  other  man  in 
the  regiment,  only  from  knowing  how  to  do  the 
thing  as  it  ought  to  be  done." 

"  I  doubt  not,  Dickon,"  returned  the  Judge 
playfully,  after  meeting  the  bright  smile,  which,  in 
spite  of  himself,  stole  over  the  stranger's  features, 
"  that  thy  family  understood  the  art  of  letting  a  life 
slip  through  their  fingers  with  great  facility." 

Richard  heard  him  quite  coolly,  and  putting  a 
hand  in  either  pocket  of  his  surtout,  so  as  to  press 
forward  the  skirts  with  an  air  of  vast  disdain,  be 
gan  to  whistle  a  tune  ;  but  the  desire  to  reply  over 
came  his  philosophy,  and  with  great  heat  he  ex 
claimed — 

"  You  may  affect  to  smile,  Judge  Temple,  at  he 
reditary  virtues,  if  you  please  ;  but  there  is  not  a 
man  on  your  Patent  who  don't  know  better.  Here, 
even  this  young  man,  who  -has  never  seen  any 
thing  but  bears,  and  deers,  and  wood-chucks,  knows 
better  than  not  to  believe  in  virtues  being  trans 
mitted  down  in  families.  Don  t  you,  friend  ?" 


THE    PIONEERS.  83 

u  1  believe  that  vice  is  not,"  said  the  stranger 
abruptly,  his  eye  glancing  keenly  from  the  father 
to  the  daughter. 

"  The  Squire  is  right,  Judge,"  observed  Benja 
min  with  a  knowing  nod  of  his  head  towards  Ri 
chard,  that  bespoke  the  cordiality  beiween  them. 
"  Now,  in  the  old  country,  the  King's  Majesty 
touches  for  the  evil,  and  that  is  a  disorder  that  the 
greatest  doctor  in  the  fleet,  or,  for  the  matter  of 
that,  admiral  either,  can't  cure ;  only  the  King's 
Majesty,  or  a  man  that's  been  hung.  Oh  !  yes,  the 
Squire  is  right,  for  if  so  be  that  he  wasn't,  how  is 
it  that  the  seventh  son  always  is  a  doctor,  whether 
he  ships  for  the  cock-pit  or  not  ?  Now,  when  we 
fell  in  with  the  mounsheers,  under  De  Grasse,  d'ye 
see,  we  had  aboard  of  us  a  doctor — " 

"  Very  well,  Benjamin,"  interrupted  Elizabeth, 
glancing  her  eyes  from  the  hunter  to  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi,  who  was  most  politely  attending  to  what  fell 
from  each  individual  in  succession,  "  you  shall  tell 
me  of  that,  and  all  your  entertaining  adventures  to 
gether;  just  now,  a  room  must  be  prepared,  in 
which  the  arm  of  this  gentleman  can  be  dressed." 

"  1  will  attend  to  that  myself,  cousin  Elizabeth," 
observed  Richard,  somewhat  haughtily.  "  The 
young  man  shall  not  suffer,  because  Marmaduke 
chooses  to  be  a  little  obstinate.  Follow  me,  my 
friend,  and  I  will  examine  the  hurt  myself." 

cc  It  will  be  well  to  wait  for  the  physician,"  said 
the  hunter  coldly  ;  "  he  cannot  be  distant ;  I  will 
save  you  the  trouble." 

Richard  paused,  and  looked  earnestly  at  the 
speaker,  a  little  astonished  at  the  language,  and  a 
good  deal  appalled  at  the  refusal.  He  instantly 
construed  the  latter  into  an  act  of  hostility,  and 
placing  his  hands  in  the  pockets  again,  he  walked 
up  to  Mr.  Grant,  and  putting  his  face  close  to 


84  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  countenance  of  the  divine,  he  said  in  an  under 
tone — 

"  Now  mark  my  words :  there  will  be  a  story 
among  the  settlers,  that  all  our  necks  would  have 
been  broken,  but  for  that  fellow  there — as  if  I  did 
not  know  how  to  drive.  Why,  you  might  have 
turned  the  horses  yourself,  sir;  nothing  was  ea 
sier  ;  it  was  only  pulling  hard  on  the  nigh  rein, 
and  touching  the  off  flank  of  the  leader.  I  hope, 
my  dear  sir,  you  are  not  at  all  hurt  by  the  upset 
the  lad  gave  us  ?" 

The  reply  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
the  village  physician. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


-And  about  his  shelves, 


A  beggarly  account  of  empty  boxes, 
Green  earthen  pots,  bladders,  and  musty  seeds, 
Remnants  of  pack-thread,  and  old  cakes  of  roses, 
Were  thinly  scattered  to  make  up  a  show. 

Shakspcare. 

DOCTOR  ELNATHAN  TODD,  for  such  was  the  un 
worthy  name  of  the  man  of  physic,  was  commonly 
thought  to  be,  among  the  settlers,  a  gentleman  of 
great  mental  endowments ;  and  he  was  assuredly 
of  rare  personal  proportions.  In  height  he  mea 
sured,  without  his  shoes,  exactly  six  feet  and  four 
inches.  His  hands,  feet,  and  knees,  corresponded 
in  every  respect  with  this  formidable  stature ;  but 
every  other  part  of  his  frame  appeared  to  have  been 
intended  for  a  man  several  sizes  smaller,  if  we  ex 
cept  the  length  of  the  limbs.  His  shoulders  were 
square,  in  one  sense  at  least,  being  in  a  right  line 
from  one  side  to  the  other ;  but  they  were  so  nar 
row,  that  the  long  dangling  arms  that  they  sup 
ported  seemed  to  issue  out  of  his  back.  His  neck 
possessed,  in  an  eminent  degree,  the  property  of 
length  to  which  we  have  alluded,  and  it  was  top 
ped  by  a  small  bullet-head,  that  exhibited,  on  one 
side,  a  bush  of  bristling  brown  hair,  and  on  the 
other,  a  short,  twinkling  visage,  that  appeared  to 
maintain  a  constant  struggle  with  itself  in  order  to 
look  wise.  He  was  the  youngest  son  of  a  farmer 

8 


86  THE    PIONEERS. 

in  the  western  part  of  Massachusetts,  who,  being 
in  somewhat  easy  circumstances,  had  allowed  this 
boy  to  shoot  up  to  the  height  we  have  mentioned, 
without  the  ordinary  interruptions  of  field-labour, 
wood-chopping,  and  such  other  toils  as  were  impos 
ed  on  his  brothers.  Elnathan  was  indebted  for  this 
exemption  from  labour,  in  some  measure  to  his  ex 
traordinary  growth,  which,  leaving  him  pale,  inani 
mate,  and  listless,  induced  his  tender  mother  to 
pronounce  him  "  a  sickly  boy,  and  one  that  was 
not  equal  to  work,  but  who  might  earn  a  living, 
comfortably  enough,  by  taking  to  pleading  law,  or 
turning  minister,  or  doctoring,  or  some  sitch-like 
easy  calling."  Still  there  was  a  great  uncertainty 
which  of  these  vocations  the  youth  was  best  en 
dowed  to  fill  with  credit  and  profit ;  but,  having  no 
other  employment,  the  stripling  was  constantly 
lounging  about  the  "  homestead,"  munching  green 
apples,  and  hunting  for  sorrel ;  when  the  same  sa 
gacious  eye,  that  had  brought  to  light  his  latent 
talents,  seized  upon  this  circumstance,  as  a  clue  to 
direct  his  future  path  through  the  turmoils  of  the 
world.  "  Elnathan  was  cut  out  for  a  doctor,"  she 
knew,  "  for  he  was  for  ever  digging  for  yarbs,  and 
tasting  all  kinds  of  things  that  grow'd  about  the 
lots.  Then  again  he  had  a  nateral  love  for  doctor- 
stuff,  for  when  she  had  left  the  bilious  pills  out  for 
her  man,  all  nicely  covered  with  maple  sugar,  just 
ready  to  take,  Nathan  had  come  in,  and  swallowed 
them,  for  all  the  world  as  if  they  were  nothing, 
while  Ichabod  (her  husband)  could  never  get  one 
down  without  making  sitch  desperate  faces,  that 
it  was  awful  to  look  on." 

This  discovery  decided  the  matter.  Elnathan, 
then  about  fifteen,  was,  much  like  a  wild  colt,  caught 
and  trimmed,  by  clipping  his  bushy  locks ;  dressed 
in  a  suit  of  homespun,  died  in  the  butternut  bark ; 


THE    PIONEERS.  87 

furnished  with  a  "  New  Testament,"  and  a  "  Web 
ster's  Spelling-Book,"  and  sent  to  school.  As  the 
boy  was  by  nature  quite  shrewd  enough,  and  had 
previously,  at  odd  times,  laid  the  foundations  of 
reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  he  was  soon  con 
spicuous  in  the  school  for  his  learning.  The  de 
lighted  mother  had  the  gratification  of  hearing 
from  the  lips  of  the  master,  that  her  son  was  a 
"  prodigious  boy,  and  far  above  all  his  class."  He 
also  thought  that  "  the  youth  had  a  natural  love  for 
doctoring,  as  he  had  known  him  frequently  advise 
the  smaller  children  against  eating  too  much ;  and 
once  or  twice,  when  the  ignorant  little  things  had 
persevered  in  opposition  to  Elnathan's  advice,  he 
had  known  her  son  to  empty  the  school-baskets 
with  his  own  mouth,  to  prevent  the  consequences." 

Soon  after  this  comfortable  declaration  from  his 
schoolmaster,  the  lad  was  removed  to  the  house  of 
the  village  doctor,  a  gentleman  whose  early  career 
had  not  been  unlike  that  of  our  hero,  where  he  was 
to  be  seen,  sometimes  watering  a  horse,  at  others 
watering  medicines,  blue,  yellow,  and  red ;  then 
again  he  might  be  noticed,  lolling  under  an  apple- 
tree,  with  Ruddiman's  Latin  Grammar  in  his  hand, 
and  a  corner  of  Denman's  Midwifery  sticking  out 
of  the  pocket  of  his  coat ; — for  his  instructer  held 
it  absurd  to  teach  his  pupil  how  to  despatch  a  pa 
tient  regularly  from  this  world,  before  he  knew  how 
to  bring  him  into  it. 

This  kind  of  life  continued  for  a  twelvemonth, 
when  he  suddenly  appeared  at  meeting  in  a  long 
coat  ( and  well  did  it  deserve  the  name  ! )  of  black 
homespun,  with  little  bootees,  bound  with  unco- 
loured  calf-skin,  for  the  want  of  red  morocco. 

Soon  after,  he  was  seen  shaving  with  a  dull  ra 
zor  ;  and  but  three  or  four  months  elapsed  before 
several  elderly  ladies  were  observed  hastening  to- 


88  THE    PIONEERS. 

wards  the  house  of  a  poor  woman  in  the  village, 
while  others  were  running  to  and  fro  in  great  ap 
parent  distress. — One  or  two  boys  were  mounted, 
bareback,  on  horses,  and  sent  off  at  speed  in  vari 
ous  directions.  Several  indirect  questions  were 
put  concerning  where  the  physician  was  last  ob 
served  ;  but  all  would  not  do  ;  and  at  length  Elna- 
than  was  seen  issuing  from  his  door,  with  a  very 
grave  air,  preceded  by  a  little  white-headed  boy, 
who,  out  of  breath,  was  trotting  before  him.  The 
following  day  the  youth  appeared  in  the  street,  as 
the  highway  was  called,  and  the  neighbourhood 
was  astonished  in  observing  how  much  he  had 
grown  lately.  The  same  week  he  bought  a  new 
razor ;  and  the  succeeding  Sunday  he  entered  the 
meeting-house  with  a  red  silk  handkerchief  in  his 
hand,  and  with  an  extremely  demure  countenance. 
In  the  evening  he  called  upon  a  young  woman  of 
his  own  class  in  life,  for  there  were  no  others  to  be 
found,  and,  when  he  was  left  alone  with  the  fair, 
he  was  called,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Doctor 
Todd,  by  her  prudent  mother.  The  ice  once 
broken  in  this  manner,  Elnathan  was  greeted  from 
every  mouth  with  his  official  appellation. 

Another  year  was  passed  under  the  superinten 
dence  of  the  same  master,  during  which  the  young 
physician  had  the  credit  of  u  riding  with  the  old 
doctor,"  although  they  were  generally  observed  to 
travel  different  roads.  At  the  end  of  that  period, 
Dr.  Todd  attained  his  legal  majority.  He  then 
took  a  jaunt  to  Boston,  to  purchase  medicines,  and, 
as  some  intimated,  to  walk  the  hospital ;  we  know 
not  how  the  latter  might  have  been,  but  if  true,  he 
soon  walked  through  it,  for  he  returned  within  a 
fortnight,  bringing  with  him  a  suspiciously  looking 
box,  that  smelled  powerfully  of  brimstone. 

The  next  Sunday  he  was  married ;  and  the  fol- 


THE    PIONEERS.  89 

lowing  morning  he  entered  a  one-horse  sleigh  with 
his  bride,  having  before  him  the  box  we  have  men 
tioned,  writh  another  filled  with  home-made  house 
hold  linen,  a  paper-covered  trunk,  with  a  red  um 
brella  lashed  to  it,  a  pair  of  quite  new  saddle-bags, 
and  a  bandbox.  The  next  intelligence  that  his 
friends  received  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  was, 
that  the  latter  was  "  settled  in  the  new  countries, 
and  well  to  do  as  a  doctor,  in  Templeton,  in  York 
state." 

If  a  Templar  would  smile  at  the  qualifications  of 
Marmaduke  to  fill  the  judicial  seat  that  he  occupied, 
we  are  certain  that  a  graduate  of  Leyden  or  Edin 
burgh  would  be  extremely  amused  with  this  true 
narration  of  the  servitude  of  Elnathan  in  the  tem 
ple  of  j^sculapius.  But  the  same  consolation  was 
afforded  to  both  the  jurist  and  the  leech ;  for  Dr. 
Todd  was  quite  as  much  on  a  level  with  his  com 
peers  in  the  profession  in  that  country,  as  was  Mar- 
inaduke  with  his  brethren  on  the  bench. 

Time  and  practice  did  wonders  for  the  physician. 
He  was  naturally  humane,  but  possessed  no  small 
share  of  moral  courage  ;  or,  in  other  words,  he  was 
chary  of  the  lives  of  his  patients,  and  never  tried 
uncertain  experiments  on  such  members  of  society 
as  were  considered  useful ;  but  once  or  twice,  when 
a  luckless  vagrant  had  come  under  his  care,  he  was 
a  little  addicted  to  trying  the  effects  of  every  vial 
in  his  saddle-bags  on  the  stranger's  constitution. 
Happily  their  number  was  small,  and  in  most  cases 
their  natures  innocent.  By  these  means  Elnathan 
had  acquired  a  certain  degree  of  knowledge  in  fe 
vers  and  agues,  and  could  talk  with  much  judgment 
concerning  intermittents,  remittents,  tertians,  quo 
tidians,  &c.  In  certain  cutaneous  disorders,  very 
prevalent  in  new  settlements,  he  was  considered 
to  be  infallible ;  and  there  was  no  woman  on  the 
8* 


90  THE    PIONEERS. 

Patent,  but  would  as  soon  think  of  becoming  & 
mother  without  a  husband,  as  without  the  assist 
ance  of  Dr.  Todd.  In  short,  he  was  rearing,  on 
this  foundation  of  sand,  a  superstructure,  cemented 
by  practice,  though  composed  of  somewhat  brittle 
materials.  He,  however,  occasionally  renewed  his 
elementary  studies,  and,  with  the  observation  of  a 
shrewd  mind,  was  applying  his  practice  to  his 
theory. 

In  surgery,  having  the  least  experience,  and  it 
being  a  business  that  spoke  directly  to  the  senses, 
he  was  most  apt  to  distrust  his  own  powers ;  but 
he  had  applied  oils  to  several  burns,  cut  round  the 
roots  of  sundry  defective  teeth,  and  sewed  up  the 
wounds  of  numberless  wrood-choppers,  with  con 
siderable  eclat,  when  an  unfortunate  jobber  suffer 
ed  a  fracture  of  his  leg  by  the  tree  that  he  had 
been  felling.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  our  hero 
encountered  the  greatest  trial  that  his  nerves  and 
moral  feeling  had  ever  sustained.  In  the  hour  of 
need,  he  was,  however,  not  found  wanting. — Most 
of  the  amputations  in  the  new  settlements,  and  they 
were  quite  frequent,  were  performed  by  some  one 
practitioner,  who,  possessing  originally  a  reputation, 
was  enabled  by  this  circumstance  to  acquire  an  ex 
perience  that  rendered  him  deserving  of  it;  and 
Elnathan  had  been  present  at  one  or  two  of  these 
operations.  But  on  the  present  occasion  the  man 
of  practice  was  not  to  be  obtained,  and  the  duty 
fell,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  the  share  of  Mr.  Todd. 
He  went  to  work  with  a  kind  of  blind  desperation, 
observing,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  externals  of 
decent  gravity  and  great  skill.  The  sufferer's  name 
wras  Milligan,  and  it  was  to  this  event  that  Richard 
alluded,  when  he  spoke  of  assisting  the  Doctor,  at 
an  amputation — by  holding  the  leg  !  The  limb  was 
certainly  cut  off,  and  the  patient  survived  the  ope- 


THE   PIONEERS.  91 

vntion.  It  was,  however,  two  years  before  poor 
Milligan  ceased  to  complain  that  they  had  buried 
the  leg  in  so  narrow  a  box,  that  it  was  straiten 
ed  for  room  ;  he  knew  this  to  be  true,  for  he  could 
feel  the  pain  shooting  up  from  the  inhumed  frag 
ment  into  his  living  members.  Marmaduke  sug 
gested  that  the  fault  might  lie  in  the  living  arteries 
and  nerves ;  but  Richard,  considering  the  amputa 
tion  as  part  of  his  own  handy-work,  strongly  re 
pelled  the  insinuation,  at  the  same  time  declaring, 
that  he  had  often  heard  of  men  who  could  tell  when 
it  was  about  to  rain,  by  the  toes  of  amputated  limbs. 
After  two  or  three  years,  notwithstanding  that  Mil- 
ligan's  complaints  gradually  diminished,  the  leg 
was  dug  up,  arid  a  larger  box  furnished,  and  from 
that  hour  no  one  had  heard  the  sufferer  utter  an 
other  complaint  on  the  subject.  This  gave  the 
public  great  confidence  in  Doctor  Todd,  whose  re 
putation  was  hourly  increasing,  and  luckily  for  his 
patients,  his  information  also. 

Notwithstanding  Mr.  Todd's  six  years'  practice, 
and  his  success  with  the  leg,  he  was  not  a  little 
appalled,  on  entering  the  hall  of  the  mansion- 
house.  It  was  glaring  with  the  light  of  day ;  it 
looked  so  splendid  and  imposing,  compared  with 
the  hastily  built  and  scantily  furnished  apartments 
which  he  frequented  in  his  ordinary  practice,  and 
contained  so  many  well-dressed  persons,  and  anx 
iously  looking-faces,  that  his  usually  firm  nerves 
were  a  good  deal  discomposed.  He  had  heard 
from  the  messenger  who  summoned  him,  that  it  was 
a  gun-shot  wound,  and  had  come  from  his  own 
home,  wading  through  the  snow,  with  his  saddle 
bags  thrown  over  his  arm,  while  separated  arteries, 
penetrated  lungs,  and  injured  vitals,  were  whirling 
through  his  b  ain,  as  if  he  were  stalking  ovei  a 


92  THE   PIONEERS. 

field  of  battle,  instead  of  Judge  Temple's  peacea 
ble  enclosure. 

The  first  object  that  met  his  eye,  as  he  moved 
into  the  room,  was  Elizabeth,  in  her  riding-habit, 
richly  laced  with  gold  cord,  her  fine  form  bending 
towards  him,  with  her  face  expressing  deep  anxie 
ty  in  every  one  of  its  beautiful  features.  The  enor 
mous  bony  knees  of  the  physician  struck  each  other 
with  a  noise  that  was  audible  ;  for  in  the  absent 
state  of  his  mind,  he  mistook  her  for  a  general  offi 
cer,  perforated  with  bullets,  hastening  from  the 
field  of  battle  to  implore  his  assistance.  The  de 
lusion,  however,  was  but  momentary,  and  his  eye 
glanced  rapidly  from  the  daughter  to  the  earnest 
dignity  of  the  father's  countenance  ;  thence  to  the 
busy  strut  of  Richard,  who  was  cooling  his  impa 
tience  at  the  hunter's  indifference  to  his  offered 
assistance,  by  pacing  the  hall  and  cracking  his  whip ; 
from  him,  to  the  Frenchman,  who  had  stood  for 
several  minutes  unheeded  with  a  chair  for  the  lady ; 
thence  to  Major  Hartmann,  who  was  very  coolly 
lighting  a  pipe  three  feet  long  by  a  candle  in  one 
of  the  chandeliers ;  thence  to  Mr.  Grant,  who  was 
turning  over  a  manuscript  with  much  earnestness 
at  one  of  the  lustres  ;  thence  to  Remarkable,  who 
stood,  with  her  aims  demurely  folded  before  her, 
surveying  with  a  look  of  admiration  and  envy  the 
dress  and  beauty  of  the  young  lady ;  and  from  her 
to  Benjamin,  who,  with  his  feet  standing  wide  apart, 
and  his  arms  a-kimbo,  was  balancing  his  square 
little  body,  with  the  indifference  of  one  who  was 
accustomed  to  wounds  and  bloodshed.  All  of  these 
seemed  to  be  unhurt,  and  the  operator  began  to 
breathe  more  freely ;  but  before  he  had  time  to 
take  a  second  look,  the  Judge,  advancing,  shook 
him  kindly  by  the  hand,  and  spoke. 


THE    PIONEERS. 


93 


"Thou  art  welcome,  my  good  sir,  quite  wel 
come,  indeed  ;  here  is  a  youth,  whom  I  have  un 
fortunately  wounded  in  shooting  a  deer  this  evening, 
and  who  requires  some  of  thy  assistance." 

"  Shooting  at  a  deer,  'duke,"  interrupted  Ri 
chard,  abruptly — "  Shooting  at  a  deer.  Who  do  you 
think  can  prescribe,  unless  he  knows  the  truth  of 
the  case  ?  It  is  always  so,  with  some  people  ;  they 
think  a  doctor  can  be  deceived,  with  the  same  im 
punity  as  another  man." 

"  Shooting  at  a  deer  truly,"  returned  the  Judge, 
with  a  smile,  "  although  it  is  by  no  means  certain 
that  I  did  not  aid  in  destroying  the  buck ;  but  the 
youth  is  injured  by  my  hand,  be  that  as  it  may  ; 
and  it  is  thy  skill,  that  must  cure  him,  and  my 
pocket,  that  shall  amply  reward  thee  for  it." 

"  Two  ver  good  tings  to  depend  on,"  observed 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  bowing  politely,  with  a  sweep 
of  his  head,  to  the  Judge  and  the  practitioner. 

"  I  thank  you,  Monsieur,"  returned  the  Judge  ; 
"but we  keep  the  young  man  in  pain.  Remarka 
ble,  thou  wilt  please  to  provide  linen  for  lint  and 
bandages." 

This  remark  caused  a  cessation  of  the  compli 
ments,  and  induced  the  physician  to  turn  an  inquir 
ing  eye  in  the  direction  of  his  patient.  During  the 
dialogue  the  young  hunter  had  thrown  aside  his 
over-coat,  and  now  stood  clad  in  a  plain  suit  of  the 
common,  light-coloured,  homespun  of  the  country, 
that  was  evidently  but  recently  made.  His  hand 
was  on  the  lapels  of  his  coat,  in  the  attitude  of  re 
moving  the  garment,  when  he  suddenly  suspended 
the  movement,  and  looked  towards  the  commise 
rating  Elizabeth, 'who  was  standing  in  an  unchanged 
posture,  too  much  absorbed  with  her  anxious  feel 
ings  to  heed  his  actions.  A  slight  colour  appear 
ed  passing  over  the  brow  of  the  youth,  as  he  spoke, 


94  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Possibly  the  sight  of  blood  may  alarm  the  lady, 
I  will  retire  to  another  room,  while  the  wound  is 
dressing." 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Dr.  Todd,  who,  having 
discovered  that  his  patient  was  far  from  being  a 
man  of  importance,  felt  wonderfully  emboldened  to 
perform  his  duty. — "  The  strong  light  of  these  can 
dles  is  favourable  to  the  operation,  and  it  is  seldom 
that  we  hard  students  enjoy  good  eyesight." 

While  speaking,  Elnathan  placed  a  pair  of  large 
iron-rimmed  spectacles  on  his  face,  where  they 
dropped,  as  it  were  by  long  practice,  to  the  extre 
mity  of  his  slim,  pug  nose  ;  and  if  they  were  of  no 
service  as  assistants  to  his  eyes,  neither  were  they 
any  impediment  to  his  vision ;  for  his  little,  gray 
organs  were  twinkling  above  them,  like  two  stars 
emerging  from  the  cover  of  an  envious  cloud.  The 
action  was  unheeded  by  all  but  Remarkable,  who 
observed  to  Benjamin — 

"  Doctor  Todd  is  a  comely  man  to  look  on,  and 
a  disp'ut  pretty  spoken  one  tpo.  How  well  he 
seems  in  spectacles.  I  declare,  they  give  a  grand 
look  to  a  body's  face.  I  have  quite  a  great  mind 
to  try  them  myself." 

The  speech  of  the  stranger  recalled  the  recol 
lection  of  Miss  Temple,  who  started,  as  if  from 
deep  abstraction,  and,  colouring  excessively,  she 
motioned  to  a  young  woman,  who  served  in  the 
capacity  of  a  maid,  and  retired,  with  an  air  of  wo 
manly  reserve. 

The  field  was  now  left  to  the  physician  and  his 
patient,  while  the  different  personages  who  re 
mained,  gathered  around  the  latter,  with  faces  ex 
pressing  the  various  degrees  of  interest,  that  each 
one  felt  in  his  condition.  Major  Hartmann  alone  re 
tained  his  seat,  where  he  continued  to  throw  out 
vast  quantities  of  smoke,  now  rolling  his  eyes  up 


THE    PIONEERS.  95 

to  the  ceiling,  as  if  musing  on  the  uncertainty  of 
life,  and  now  bending  them  on  the  wounded  man, 
with  an  expression  that  bespoke  some  conscious 
ness  of  his  situation. 

In  the  mean  time,  Elnathan,  to  whom  the  sight 
of  a  gun-shot  wound  was  a  perfect  novelty,  com 
menced  his  preparations,  with  a  solemnity  and  care 
that  were  worthy  of  the  occasion.  An  old  shirt 
was  procured  by  Benjamin,  and  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  other,  who  tore  divers  bandages  from  it, 
with  an  exactitude,  that  marked  both  his  own  skill, 
and  the  importance  of  the  operation. 

The  moment  Richard  heard  the  sound  that  was 
produced  by  rending  the  linen,  he  stepped  up  to 
the  group,  with  the  air  of  one  who  well  under 
stood  the  business  in  hand.  When  this  preparato 
ry  measure  was  taken,  Dr.  Todd  selected  a  piece 
of  the  shirt  with  great  care,  and,  handing  it  to  Mr. 
Jones,  without  moving  a  muscle,  said — 

"  Here,  Squire  Jones,  you  are  well  acquainted 
with  these  things ;  will  you  please  to  scrape  the 
lint  ?  It  should  be  fine,  and  soft,  you  know,  my 
dear  sir;  and  be  cautious  that  no  cotton  gets  in, 
or  it  may  p'ison  the  wownd.  The  shirt  has  been 
made  with  cotton  thread,  but  you  can  easily  pick 
it  out." 

Richard  assumed  the  office,  with  a  nod  at  his 
cousin,  that  said,  quite  plainly,  "  You  see,  this  fel 
low  can't  get  along  without  me ;"  and  began  to 
scrape  the  piece  of  linen  on  his  knee,  with  great 
diligence. 

A  table  was, now  spread,  by  the  practitioner, 
with  vials,  boxes  of  salve,  and  divers  surgical  in 
struments.  As  the  latter  appeared,  in  succession, 
from  a  case  of  red  morocco,  their  owner  held  up 
each  implement  to  the  strong  light  of  the  chande 
lier,  near  to  which  he  stood,  and  examined  it,  with 


96  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  nicest  care  and  precision.  A  red  silk  handker 
chief  was  frequently  applied  to  the  glittering  steel, 
as  if  to  remove  from  the  polished  surfaces,  the 
least  impediment,  which  might  exist,  to  the  most 
delicate  operation.  After  the  rather  scantily  fur 
nished  pocket-case,  which  contained  these  instru 
ments,  was  exhausted,  the  physician  turned  to  his 
saddle  bags,  and  produced  various  vials,  filled  with 
liquids,  of  the  most  radiant  colours.  These  were 
arranged,  in  due  order,  by  the  side  of  the  murder 
ous  saws,  knives,  and  scissors,  when  Elnathan 
stretched  his  long  body  to  its  utmost  elevation, 
placing  his  hand  on  the  small  of  his  back,  as  if  for 
support,  and  looked  about  him  to  discover  what  ef 
fect  this  display  of  his  professional  skill  was  likely 
to  produce  on  the  spectators. 

"  Upon  my  wort,  toctor,"  observed  Major  Hart- 
mann,  with  a  roguish  roll  of  his  little  black  eyes, 
but  with  every  other  feature  of  his  face  in  a  state 
of  perfect  rest,  "put  you  have  a  very  pretty  pock- 
et-pook  of  tools  tere,  and  your  toctor-stuff  glitters, 
as  if  it  was  petter  for  ter  eyes  as  for  ter  pelly." 

Elnathan  gave  a  somewhat  equivocal  hem,  be 
fore  he  replied — one  that  might  have  been  equally 
taken  for  that  kind  of  noise  which  cowards  are 
said  to  make,  in  order  to  awaken  their  dormant 
courage,  or  for  a  natural  effort  to  clear  the  throat : 
if  for  the  latter,  it  was  successful ;  foi;,  turning  his 
face  to  the  veteran  German,  he  said — 

"Very  true,  Major  Hartmann,  very  true,  sir; 
a  prudent  man  will  always  strive  to  make  his  reme 
dies  agreeable  to  the  eyes,  though  they  may  not 
altogether  suit  the  stomach.  It  is  no  small  part  of 
our  art,  sir,"  and  he  now  spake  with  the  confidence 
of  a  man  who  understood  his  subject,  "  to  recon 
cile  the  patient  to  what  is  for  his  own  good,  though, 
at  the  same  time,  it  may  be  unpalatable." 


THE    PIONEERS.  97 

*  Sartain !  Doctor  Todd  is  right,"  said  Remark- 
ot  ^e,  "  and  has  Scripter  for  what  he  says.  The 
B»ole  tells  us,  how  things  mought  be  sweet  to  the 
mt*uth,  and  bitter  to  the  inwards." 

4  True,  true,"  interrupted  the  Judge,  a  little  im 
patiently  ;  "  but  here  is  a  youth  who  needs  no  de 
ception  to  lure  him  to  his  own  benefit.  1  see,  by 
his  eye,  that  he  fears  nothing  more  than  delay." 

/he  stranger  had,  without  assistance,  bared  his 
OWQ  shoulder,  when  the  slight  perforation,  produc 
ed  by  the  passage  of  the  buck-shot,  was  plainly 
visible.  The  intense  cold  of  the  evening  had 
stooped  the  bleeding,  and  Dr.  Todd,  casting  a  fur 
tive  glance  at  the  wound,  thought  it  by  no  means 
so  »ormidable  an  affair  as  he  had  anticipated.  Thus 
encouraged,  he  approaches  his  patient,  and  made 
some  indication  of  an  intention  to  trace  the  route 
thai  had  been  taken  by  the  lead. 

Kemarkable  often  found  occasions,  in  after  days, 
to  recount  the  minutiae  of  that  celebrated  opera 
tion  :  and  when  she  arrived  at  this  point,  she  com- 
moWy  proceeded  as  follows  : — "  And  then  the 
Doctor  tuck  out  of  the  pocket-book  a  long  thing, 
like  a  knitting-needle,  with  a  button  fastened  to  the 
end  on't ;  and  then  he  pushed  it  into  the  wownd ; 
and  then  the  young  man  looked  awful ;  and  then 
I  thought  I  should  have  swaned  away — I  felt  in 
sitch  a  disp'ut  taking ;  and  then  the  Doctor  had 
run  it  right  through  his  shoulder,  and  shoved  the 
bullet  out  on  t'other  side ;  and  so  Doctor  Todd 
cured  the  young  man — of  a  ball  that  the  Judge  had 
shot  into  him,  for  all  the  world,  as  easy  as  I  could 
pick  out  a  splinter,  with  my  darning-needle." 

Such  were  the  impressions  of  Remarkable  on 
the  subject ;  and  such,  doubtless,  were  the  opi 
nions  of  most  of  those,  who  felt  it  necessary  to  enter- 
9 


98  THE    PIONEERS. 

tain  a  species  of  religious  veneration  for  the  abilities 
and  skill  of  Elnathan ;  but  such  was  far  from  the  truth , 

When  the  physician  attempted  to  introduce  the 
instrument  described  by  Remarkable,  he  was  re 
pulsed  by  the  stranger,  with  a  good  deal  of  deci 
sion,  and  some  little  contempt,  in  his  manner. 

"  I  believe,  sir,"  he  said,  "that  a  probe  is  not 
necessary ;  the  shot  has  missed  the  bone,  and  has 
passed  directly  through  the  arm  to  the  opposite 
side,  where  it  remains  but  skin-deep,  and  whence, 
I  should  think,  it  might  be  easily  extracted." 

"  The  gentleman  knows  best,"  said  Dr.  Todd, 
laying  down  the  probe,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who 
had  assumed  it  merely  in  compliance  with  forms  , 
and  turning  to  Richard,  he  fingered  the  lint,  with 
the  appearance  of  great  care  and  foresight.  "  Ad 
mirably  well  scraped,  squire  Jones  !  it  is  about  the 
best  lint  I  have  ever  seen.  I  want  your  assistance, 
my  good  sir,  to  hold  the  patient's  arm,  while  I  make 
an  incision  for  the  ball.  Now,  I  rather  guess,  there 
is  not  another  gentleman  present  who  could  scrape 
the  lint  so  well  as  squire  Jones." 

"  Such  things  run  in  families,"  observed  Ri 
chard,  rising  with  alacrity  to  render  the  desired  as 
sistance.  "  My  father,  and  my  grandfather  before 
him,  were  both  celebrated  for  their  knowledge  of 
surgery;  they  were  not,  like  Marmaduke  here, 
puffed  up  with  an  accidental  thing,  such  as  the  time 
when  he  drew  in  the  hip-joint  of  the  man  who  was 
thrown  from  his  horse  :  that  was  the  fall  before  you 
came  into  the  settlement,  Doctor  ;  but  they  were 
men  who  were  taught  the  thing  regularly,  spend 
ing  half  their  lives  in  learning  those  little  niceties ; 
though,  for  the  matter  of  that,  my  grandfather  wa». 
a  college-bred  physician,  and  the  best  in  the  colo 
ny,  too — that  is,  in  his  neighbourhood." 


THE    PIONEERS.  99 

"  So  it  goes  with  the  world,  Squire/'  cried  Ben 
jamin,  uif-so-be  that  a  man  wants  to  walk  the 
quarter-deck  with  credit,  d'ye  see,  and  with  regu 
lar  built  swabs  on  his  shoulders,  he  mus'nt  think 
to  do  it,  by  getting  in  at  the  cabin- windows.  There 
are  two  ways  to  get  into  a  top,  besides  the  lubber- 
holes.  The  true  way  to  walk  aft,  is  to  begin  for- 
rard ;  tho'f  it  be  only  in  an  humble  way,  like  my 
self,  d'ye  see,  which  was,  from  being  only  a  bander 
of  top-gallant-sails,  and  a  stower  of  the  flying-jib, 
to  keeping  the  key  of  the  Captain's  locker." 

"  Benjamin  speaks  quite  to  the  purpose,"  con 
tinued  Richard,  with  a  benevolent  smile,  directed 
to  the  Doctor.  "  I  dare  say,  that  he  has  often  seen 
shot  extracted,  in  the  different  ships  in  which  he 
has  served  ;  suppose  we  get  him  to  hold  the  basin  ; 
he  must  be  used  to  the  sight  of  blood." 

"  That  he  is,  Squire,  that  he  is,"  interrupted  the 
ci-devant  steward  :  "  many's  the  good  shot,  round, 
double-headed,  and  grape,  that  I've  seen  the  doc 
tors  at  work  on.  For  the  matter  of  that,  I  was  in 
a  boat,  alongside  the  ship,  when  they  cut  out  the 
twelve-pound  shot  from  the  thigh  of  the  Captain 
of  the  Foody-rong,  one  of  Mounsheer  Ler  Quaw's 
countrymen,  there !" 

"  A  twelve-pound  ball  from  the  thigh  of  a  human 
being  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Grant,  with  great  simplici 
ty,  dropping  the  sermon  he  was  again  reading,  and 
raising  his  spectacles,  from  before  his  eyes,  to  the 
top  of  his  forehead. 

"A  twelve-pounder !"  echoed  Benjamin  staring 
around  him,  with  much  confidence  ;  "  a  twelve- 
pounder  !  ay  !  a  twenty-four  pound  shot  can  easily 
be  taken  from  a  man's  body,  if-so-be  a  doctor  only 
knows  how.  There's  Squire  Jones,  now,  ask  him, 
sir ;  he  reads  all  the  books ;  ask  him,  if  he  never 


100  THE    PIONEERS. 

fell  in  with  a  page  that  keeps  the  reckoning  of 
such  things." 

u  Certainly,  more  important  operations  than  that 
have  been  performed,"  observed  Richard ;  "  the 
Encyclopaedia  mentions  much  more  incredible  cir 
cumstances  than  that,  as,  I  dare  say,  you  know, 
Doctor  Todd." 

"  Certainly,  there  are  incredible  tales  told  of 
such  matters,"  returned  Elnathan,  "though  I  can 
not  say,  that  I  have  ever  seen,  myself,  any  thing 
larger  than  a  musket-bullet  extracted." 

During  this  discourse,  an  incision  had  been  made 
through  the  skin  of  the  young  hunter's  shoulder, 
and  the  lead  was  laid  bare.  Elnathan  now  took 
into  his  hand,  with  a  solemn  air,  a  pair  of  glittering 
iorceps,  and  was  in  the  act  of  applying  them  to  the 
wound,  when  a  sudden  motion  of  the  patient  caused 
the  shot  to  fall  out  of  itself.  The  long  arm  and 
broad  hand  of  the  operator  were  now  of  singular 
service  ;  for  the  latter  expanded  itself,  and  caught 
the  lead,  while  at  the  same  time,  an  extremely  am 
biguous  motion  was  made,  by  its  brother,  so  as  to 
leave  it  doubtful  to  the  spectator,  how  great  was 
its  agency  in  releasing  the  shot.  Richard,  how 
ever,  put  the  matter  at  rest,  by  exclaiming — 

"  Very  neatly  done,  Doctor !  I  have  never  seen 
a  shot  more  neatly  extracted ;  and,  I  dare  say, 
Benjamin  will  say  the  same." 

"  Why,  considering,"  returned  Benjamin,  "  I 
must  say,  that  it  was  ship-shape,  and  Brister- 
fashion. — Now  all  that  the  Doctor  has  to  do,  is  to 
clap  a  couple  of  plugs  in  the  shot  holes,  and  the 
iad  will  float  in  any  gale,  that  blows  in  these  here 
hills." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  what  you  have  done," 
said  the  youth,  with  a  little  distance  :  "  But  here 


THE   PIONEERS.  101 

is  a  man,  who  will  take  me  under  his  care,  and 
spare  you  all,  gentlemen,  any  further  trouble  on 
my  account." 

The  whole  group  turned  their  heads  in  surprise, 
and  beheld,  standing  at  one  of  the  distant  doors  of 
the  hall,  the  person  of  Indian  John. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


From  Susquehanna's  utmost  springs, 
Where  savage  tribes  pursue  their  game, 
His  blanket  tied  with  yellow  strings, 
The  shepherd  of  the  forest  came. 

Freneau. 

BEFORE  the  Europeans,  or,  to  use  a  more  signi 
ficant  term,  the  Christians,  dispossessed  the  ori 
ginal  owners  of  the  soil,  all  that  section  of  country, 
which  contains  the  New-England  States,  and  those 
of  the  Middle,  which  lie  east  of  the  mountains,  was 
occupied  by  two  great  nations  of  Indians,  from 
whom  numberless  tribes  had  descended.  But,  as 
the  original  distinctions  between  these  nations  were 
marked  by  a  difference  in  language,  as  well  as  by 
repeated  and  bloody  wars,  they  never  were  known 
to  amalgamate,  until  after  the  power  and  inroads 
of  the  whites  had  reduced  some  of  the  tribes  to  a 
state  of  dependence,  that  rendered  not  only  their 
political,  but,  considering  the  wants  and  habits  cf 
a  savage,  their  animal  existence  also,  extremely 
precarious. 

These  two  great  divisions  consisted,  on  the  one 
side,  of  the  Five,  or,  as  they  were  afterward  call 
ed,  the  Six  Nations,  and  their  allies;  and,  on  the 
other,  of  the  Lenni  Lenape,  or  Delawares,  with 
the  numerous  and  powerful  tribes,  that  owned  that 
nation  as  their  Grandfather.  The  former  were 


THE    PIONEERS.  103 

generally  called,  by  the  Anglo-Americans,  Iroquois, 
or  the  Six  Nations,  and  sometimes  Mingoes.  Their 
appellation,  among  their  rivals,  seems  generally  to 
have  been  the  Mengwe,  or  Maqua.  They  consist 
ed  of  the  tribes,  or,  as  their  allies  were  fond  of 
asserting,  in  order  to  raise  their  consequence,  or 
the  several  nations  of  the  Mohawks,  the  Oneidas, 
the  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  and  Senecas ; "who  rank 
ed,  in  the  confederation,  in  the  order  with  which 
they  are  named.  The  Tuscaroras  were  admitted 
to  this  union,  near  a  century  after  its  formation, 
and  thus  completed  the  number  to  six. 

Of  the  Lenni  Lenape,  or  as  they  were  called  by 
the  whites,  from  the  circumstance  of  their  holding 
their  great  council-fire  on  the  banks  of  that  river, 
the  Delaware  nation,  the  principal  tribes,  besides 
that  which  bore  the  generic  name,  were,  the  Ma- 
hicanni,  Mohicans  or  Mohegans,  and  the  Nanti- 
cokes,  or  Nentigoes.  Of  these,  the  latter  held  the 
country  along  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
the  sea-shore ;  while  the  Mohegans  occupied  the 
district  between  the  Hudson  and  the  ocean,  in 
cluding  most  of  New-England.  Of  course,  these 
two  tribes  were  the  first  who  were  dispossessed 
of  their  lands  by  the  Europeans, 

The  wars  of  a  portion  of  the  latter  are  celebrat 
ed  among  us,  as  the  wars  of  King  Philip ;  but  the 
peaceful  policy  of  William  Penn,  or  Miquon,  as  he 
was  termed  by  the  natives,  effected  its  object  with 
less  difficulty,  though  not  with  less  certainty.  As 
the  natives  gradually  disappeared  from  the  country 
of  the  Mohegans,  some  scattering  families  sought 
a  refuge  around  the  council-fire  of  the  mother  tribe, 
or  the  Delawares. 

This  people  had  been  induced  to  suffer  them 
selves  to  be  called  women,  by  their  old  enemies, 
the  Mingoes,  or  Iroquois,  after  the  latter,  having 


104  THE    IIONEERS 

in  vain  tried  the  effects  of  hostility,  had  recourse  to 
artifice,  in  order  to  circumvent  their  rivals.  Ac 
cording  to  this  declaration,  the  Delawares  were  to 
cultivate  the  arts  of  peace,  and  to  intrust  their  de 
fence  entirely  to  the  men,  or  warlike  tribes  of  the 
Six  nations. 

This  state  of  things  continued  until  the  war  of 
the  revolution,  when  the  Lenni  Lenape  formally 
asserted  their  independence,  and  fearlessly  declar 
ed,  that  they  were  again  men.  But  in  a  govern 
ment  so  peculiarly  republican  as  the  Indian  polity 
it  was  not,  at  all  times,  an  easy  task  to  restrain 
their  members  within  the  rules  of  their  nation. 
Several  fierce  and  renowned  warriors  of  the  Mo- 
hegans,  finding  the  conflict  with  the  whites  to  be 
in  vain,  sought  a  refuge  with  their  Grandfather, 
and  brought  with  them  the  feelings  and  principles 
that  had  so  long  distinguished  them  in  their  own 
tribe.  These  chieftains  kept  alive,  in  some  mea 
sure,  the  martial  spirit  of  the  Delawares;  and 
would,  at  times,  lead  small  parties  against  their  an 
cient  enemies,  or  such  other  foes  as  incurred  their 
resentment. 

Among  these  warriors  was  one  race  particularly 
famous  for  their  prowess,  and  for  those  qualities 
that  render  an  Indian  hero  celebrated.  But  time, 
disease,  and  want,  had  conspired  to  thin  their  num 
ber  ;  and  the  sole  representative  of  this  once  re 
nowned  family  now  stood  in  the  hall  of  Marmaduke 
Temple.  He  had,  for  a  long  time,  been  an  asso 
ciate  of  the  white  men,  particularly  in  their  wars . 
and,  having  been,  at  a  season  when  his  services 
were  of  importance,  much  noticed  and  flattered, 
he  had  turned  Christian,  and  was  baptized  by  the 
name  of  John.  He  had  suffered  severely  in  his 
family  during  the  recent  war,  having  had  every  soul 
to  whom  he  was  allied  cut  off  by  an  inroad  of  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  105 

enemy ;  and  when  the  last,  lingering  remnant  of 
his  nation  extinguished  their  fires,  among  the  hills 
of  the  Delaware,  he  alone  had  remained,  with  a  de 
termination  of  laying  his  bones  in  that  country, 
where  his  fathers  had  so  long  lived  and  governed. 

It  was  only,  however,  within  a  few  months,  that 
he  had  appeared  among  the  mountains  that  sur 
rounded  Templeton.  To  the  hut  of  the  old  hunt 
er  he  seemed  peculiarly  welcome  ;  and,  as  the 
habits  of  the  "  Leather-Stocking"  were  so  nearly 
assimilated  to  those  of  the  savages,  the  conjunction 
of  their  interests  excited  no  surprise.  They  re 
sided  in  the  same  cabin,  ate  of  the  same  food,  and 
were  chiefly  occupied  in  the  same  pursuits. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  baptismal  name 
of  this  ancient  chief;  but  in  his  conversation  with 
Natty,  held  in  the  language  of  the  Delawares,  he 
was  heard  uniformly  to  call  himself  Chingachgook, 
which,  interpreted,  means  the  "  Great  Snake." 
This  was  a  name  that  he  had  attained  in  his  youth, 
by  his  skill  and  prowess  in  the  art  of  war ;  but 
when  his  brows  began  to  wrinkle  with  time,  and 
he  stood  alone,  the  last  of  his  family,  and  his  par 
ticular  tribe,  the  few  Delawares,  who  yet  continu 
ed  about  the  head-waters  of  their  river,  gave  him 
the  expressive  appellation  of  Mohegan.  Perhaps 
there  was  something  of  deep  feeling  excited  in  the 
bosom  of  this  inhabitant  of  the  forest  by  the  sound 
of  a  name  that  recalled  the  idea  of  his  nation  in 
ruins,  for  he  seldom  used  it  himself — never  indeed, 
excepting  on  the  most  solemn  occasions ;  but  the 
settlers  had  united,  according  to  the  Christian  cus 
tom,  his  baptismal  with  his  national  name,  and  to 
them  he  was  generally  known  as  John  Mohegan, 
or,  more  familiarly,  as  Indian  John. 

From  his  long  association  with  the  white  men, 
the  habits  rf  Mohegan  were  a  mixture  of  the  civil- 


106  THE    PIONEERS. 

ized  and  savage  states,  though  there  was  certainly 
a  strong  preponderance  in  favour  of  the  latter.  In 
common  with  all  his  people,  who  dwelt  within  the 
influence  of  the  Anglo-Americans,  he  had  acquired 
new  wants,  and  his  dress  was  a  mixture  of  his  na 
tive  fashions  with  European  manufactures.  Not 
withstanding  the  intense  cold  of  the  atmosphere 
without,  his  head  was  uncovered ;  but  a  profusion 
of  long,  black,  coarse  hair,  concealed  his  forehead, 
his  crown,  and  even  hung  about  his  cheeks,  so  as 
to  convey  the  idea,  to  one  who  knew  his  present 
and  former  conditions,  that  he  encouraged  its  abun 
dance,  as  a  willing  veil,  to  hide  the  shame  of  a  no 
ble  soul,  mourning  for  a  glory  that  it  had  once 
known.  His  forehead,  when  it  could  be  seen,  ap 
peared  lofty,  broad,  and  noble.  His  nose  was  high, 
and  of  the  kind  called  Roman,  with  nostrils  that 
expanded,  in  his  seventieth  year,  with  the  air  of 
freedom  that  had  distinguished  them  when  a  youth. 
His  mouth  was  large,  but  compressed,  and  possess 
ing  a  great  share  of  expression  and  character,  and, 
when  opened,  discovered  a  perfect  set  of  short, 
strong,  and  regular  teeth.  His  chin  was  full,  though 
not  prominent ;  and  his  face  bore  the  infallible  mark 
of  his  people,  in  its  square,  high  cheek-bones.  The 
eyes  were  not  large,  but  their  black  orbs  glittered 
in  the  rays  of  the  candles,  as  he  gazed  intently 
down  the  hall,  like  two  balls  of  fire. 

The  instant  that  Mohegan  observed  himself  to 
be  noticed  by  the  group  around  the  young  stran- 
e;er,  he  dropped  the  blanket,  which  covered  the 
upper  part  of  his  frame,  from  his  shoulders,  suffer 
ing  it  to  fall  over  his  leggins,  of  untanned  deer-skin, 
where  it  was  retained  by  a  belt  of  bark,  that  con 
fined  it  to  his  waist,  and  moved  forward. 

As  he  walked  slowly  down  the  long  hall,  the  un 
usually  dignified  and  deliberate  tread  of  the  Indian 


THE    PIONEERS,  107 

surprised  the  spectators.  His  shoulders,  and  body 
to  his  waist,  were  entirely  bare,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  a  silver  medallion  of  Washington,  that  was 
suspended  from  his  neck  by  a  thong  of  buck-skin, 
and  rested  on  his  high  chest,  amidst  the  scars  of 
many  wounds.  His  shoulders  were  rather  broad 
and  full ;  but  the  arms,  though  straight  and  grace 
ful,  wanted  the  muscular  appearance  that  labour 
alone  can  give  to  a  race  of  men.  The  medallion 
was  the  only  ornament  he  wore,  although  enormous 
slits  in  the  rim  of  either  ear,  which  suffered  the 
cartilages  to  fall  for  two  inches  below  the  members, 
were  evidently  used  for  the  purposes  of  decoration, 
in  other  days.  In  his  hand  he  held  a  small  basket, 
of  the  ash-wood  slips,  coloured  in  divers  fantastical 
conceits,  with  red  and  black  paints  mingled  with 
the  white  of  the  wood. 

As  this  child  of  the  forest  approached  them,  the 
whole  party  stood  aside,  and  allowed  him  to  con 
front  the  evident  object  of  his  visit.  He  did  not 
speak,  however,  but  stood,  fixing  his  glowing  eyes 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  young  hunter,  and  then 
turning  them  intently  on  the  countenance  of  the 
Judge.  The  latter  was  a  good  deal  astonished  at 
this  unusual  departure  from  the  ordinarily  subdued 
and  quiet  manner  of  the  Indian ;  but  soon  recover 
ing  himself,  he  extended  his  hand,  and  said — 

"  Thou  art  welcome,  John.  This  youth  enter 
tains  a  high  opinion  of  thy  skill,  it  seems,  for  he 
prefers  thee  to  dress  his  wound  even  to  our  good 
friend  Dr.  Todd." 

Mohegan  now  spoke,  in  tolerable  English,  but 
in  a  low,  monotonous,  guttural  tone  : — 

"  The  children  of  Miquon  do  not  love  the  sight 
of  blood ;  and  yet,  the  young  eagle  has  been  struck 
by  the  hand  that  should  do  no  evil !" 

"Mohegan!  old  John!"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  in 


108  THE    PIONEERS. 

horror,  and  turning  his  fine,  manly,  open  counte 
nance  to  the  other;  "thinkest  thou,  that  my  hand 
has  ever  drawn  human  blood  willingly  ?  For  shame  ! 
for  shame,  old  John  !  thy  religion  should  have 
taught  thee  better." 

"'The  evil  spirit  sometimes  lives  in  the  best 
heart,"  returned  John,  impressively,  as  he  tried 
to  study  the  countenance  of  the  Judge ;  "  but  my 
brother  speaks  the  truth ;  his  hand  has  never  taken 
life,  when  awake ;  no  !  not  even  when  the  chil 
dren  of  the  great  English  Father  were  making  the 
waters  red  with  the  blood  of  his  people." 

"  Surely,  John,"  said  Mr.  Grant,  with  much 
earnestness,  "  you  remember  the  divine  command 
of  our  Saviour,  'judge  not,  lest  ye  be  judged.' 
What  motive  could  Judge  Temple  have  for  injur 
ing  a  youth  like  this ;  one  to  whom  he  is  unknown, 
and  from  whom  he  can  receive  neither  injury  nor 
favour !" 

John  listened  respectfully  to  the  divine,  and  when* 
he  had  concluded,  the  Indian  stretched  out  his 
arm,  and  said  with  energy — 

"  He  is  innocent — my  brother  has  not  done  this 
wrong." 

Marmaduke  received  the  offered  hand  of  the 
other  with  a  benevolent  smile,  that  showed,  how 
ever  he  might  be  astonished  at  his  suspicion,  he 
had  ceased  to  resent  it ;  while  the  wounded  youth 
stood,  gazing  from  his  red  friend  to  his  host,  with 
an  expression  of  scornful  pity  powerfully  delineat 
ed  in  his  countenance-  No  sooner  was  this  act  of 
pacification  exchanged,  than  John  proceeded  to  dis 
charge  the  duty,  to  perform  which  he  had  come. 
Dr.  Todd  was  far  from  manifesting  any  displeasure 
at  this  invasion  of  his  rights,  but  made  way  for  the 
new  leech,  with  an  air  that  expressed  a  willingness- 
to  gratify  the  humouis  of  his  patient,  now  that  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  109 

all-important  part  of  the  business  was  so  success 
fully  performed,  and  nothing  remained  to  be  done, 
but  what  any  child  might  effect.  Indeed,  he  whis 
pered  as  much  to  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  when  he 
said — 

"  It  was  fortunate  that  the  ball  was  extracted 
before  this  Indian  came  in;  but  any  old  woman 
can  dress  the  wound  now.  The  young  man,  I  hear? 
lives  with  John  and  Natty  Bumppo,  and  it's  al 
ways  best  to  humour  a  patient,  when  it  can  be  done 
discreetly — I  say,  discreetly,  Monsieur." 

"  Certainement,"  returned  the  Frenchman  ; 
"  you  seem  ver  happy,  Mister  Todd,  in  your  prac- 
teece.  I  should  tink  de  elderly  lady  might  ver 
well  finish,  vat  you  so  skeelfully  begin." 

But  Richard  had,  at  the  bottom,  a  great  deal  of 
veneration  for  the  knowledge  of  Mohegan,  espe 
cially  in  external  wounds  ;  and  retaining  all  his  de 
sire  for  a  participation  in  glory,  he  advanced  nigh 
to  the  Indian,  and  said — 

"  Sago,  sago,  Mohegan  !  sago,  my  good  fellow  ! 
I  am  right  glad  you  have  come  ;  give  me  a  regular 
physician,  like  Dr.  Todd,  to  cut  into  flesh,  and  a 
native  to  heal  the  wound.  Do  you  remember,  John, 
the  time  when  I  and  you  set  the  bone  of  Natty  Bump- 
po's  little  finger,  after  he  broke  it  by  falling  from 
the  rock,  when  he  was  trying  to  get  the  partridge 
down,  that  fell  on  the  cliffs.  I  never  could  tell 
yet,  whether  it  was  I  or  Natty,  who  killed  that 
bird :  he  fired  first,  and  the  bird  stooped,  but  then 
it  was  rising  again,  just  as  I  pulled  trigger.  I  should 
hive  claimed  it,  for  a  certainty,  but  Natty  said  the 
hole  was  too  big  for  shot,  and  he  fired  a  single  ball 
from  his  rifle  ;  but  the  piece  I  carried  then  didn't 
scatter,  and  I  have  known  it  to  bore  a  hole  through 
a  board,  when  I've  been  shooting  at  the  mark, 
very  much  like  rifle-bullets.  Shall  I  help  you, 
10 


110  THE    PIONEERS. 

John  ?  You  know  that  I  have  a  knack  at  these 
things." 

Mohegan  heard  this  disquisition  quite  patiently, 
and  when  Richard  concluded,  he  held  out  the  bas 
ket,  which  contained  his  specifics,  indicating,  by  a 
gesture,  that  he  might  hold  it.  Mr.  Jones  was 
quite  satisfied  with  this  commission  ;  and,  ever  af 
ter,  in  speaking  of  the  event,  was  used  to  say,  that 
"  Doctor  Todd  and  I  cut  out  the  bullet,  and  I  and 
Indian  John  dressed  the  wound." 

The  patient  was  much  more  deserving  of  that 
epithet,  while  under  the  hands  of  Mohegan,  than 
while  suffering  under  the  practice  of  the  true  phy 
sician.  Indeed,  the  Indian  gave  him  but  little  op 
portunity  for  the  exercise  of  a  forbearing  temper, 
as  he  had  come  prepared  for  the  occasion.  His 
dressings  were  soon  applied,  and  consisted  only  of 
some  pounded  bark,  moistened  with  a  fluid  that  he 
had  expressed  from  some  of  the  simples  of  the 
woods. 

Among  the  native  tribes  of  the  forest,  there  were 
always  two  kinds  of  leeches  to  be  met  with.  The 
one  placed  its  whole  dependence  on  the  exercise 
of  a  supernatural  power,  and  was  held  in  greater 
veneration  than  their  practice  could  at  all  justify ; 
but  the  other  was  really  endowed  with  great  skill, 
in  the  ordinary  complaints  of  the  human  body,  and 
was,  more  particularly,  as  Natty  had  intimated, 
"  curous  in  cuts  and  bruises." 

While  John  and  Richard  were  placing  the  dress 
ings  on  the  wound,  Elnathan  was  acutely  eyeing 
the  contents  of  Mohegan's  basket,  which  Mr.  Jones, 
in  his  physical  ardour,  had  transferred  to  the  Doc 
tor,  in  order  to  hold,  himself,  one  end  of  the  ban 
dages.  Here  he  was  soon  enabled  to  detect  sundry 
fragments  of  wood  and  bark,  of  which  he,  quite 
coolly,  took  possession,  very  possibly  without  any 


THE    PIONEERS.  Ill 

intention  of  speaking  at  all  upon  the  subject ;  but 
when  he  beheld  the  full,  blue  eye  of  Marmaduke, 
watching  his  movements,  he  whispered  to  the 
Judge — • 

"  It  is  not  to  be  denied,  Judge  Temple,  but  what 
the  savages  are  knowing,  in  small  matters  of  phy 
sic.  They  hand  these  things  down  in  their  tradi 
tions.  Now  in  cancers  and  hydrophoby,  they  are 
quite  ingenious.  I  will  just  take  this  bark  home, 
and  analyze  it ;  for,  though  it  can't  be  worth  six 
pence  to  the  young  man's  shoulder,  it  may  be  good 
for  the  toothach,  or  rheumatis,  or  some  of  them 
complaints.  A  man  should  never  be  above  learn 
ing,  even  if  it  be  from  an  Indian." 

It  was  fortunate  for  Dr.  Todd,  that  his  princi 
ples  were  so  liberal,  as,  coupled  with  his  practice, 
they  were  the  means  by  which  he  acquired  all  his 
knowledge,  and  by  which  he  was  gradually  quali 
fying  himself  for  the  duties  of  his  profession.  The 
process  to  which  he  subjected  the  specific,  differed, 
however,  greatly  from  the  ordinary  rules  of  chy- 
mistry  ;  for,  instead  of  separating,  he  afterward  unit 
ed  the  component  parts  of  Mohegan's  remedy,  and 
thus  was  able  to  discover  the  tree  whence  the  In 
dian  had  taken  it. 

Some  ten  years  after  this  event,  when  civiliza 
tion  and  its  refinements  had  crept,  or  rather  rush 
ed,  into  the  settlements  among  these  wild  hills,  an 
affair  of  honour  occurred,  and  Elnathan  was  seen 
to  apply  a  salve  to  the  wound  that  was  received  by 
one  of  the  parties,  which  had  the  flavour  that  was 
peculiar  to  the  tree,  or  root,  that  Mohegan  had 
used.  Ten  years  later  still,  when  England  and 
the  United  States  were  again  engaged  in  war,  and 
the  hordes  of  the  western  parts  of  the  state  of 
New- York  were  rushing  to  the  field,  Elnathan- 
pr  jsuming  on  the  reputation  obtained  by  these  two 


112  THE   PIONEERS. 

operations,  followed  in  the  rear  of  a  brigade  of 
militia,  as  its  surgeon  ! 

When  Mohegan  had  applied  the  bark,  he  freely 
relinquished  to  Richard  the  needle  and  thread,  that 
were  used  in  sewing  the  bandages,  for  these  were 
implements  of  which  the  native  but  little  under 
stood  the  use ;  and,  stepping  back,  with  decent 
gravity,  awaited  the  completion  of  the  business  by 
the  other. 

"  Reach  me  the  scissors,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  when 
he  had  finished,  and  finished  for  the  second  time, 
after  tying  the  linen  in  every  shape  and  form  that 
it  could  be  placed ;  "  reach  me  the  scissors,  for 
here  is  a  thread  that  must  be  cut  off,  or  it  might 
get  under  the  dressings,  and  inflame  the  wound. 
See,  John,  I  have  put  the  lint  I  scraped,  between 
two  layers  of  the  linen ;  for  though  the  bark  is  cer 
tainly  best  for  the  flesh,  yet  the  lint  will  serve  to 
keep  the  cold  air  from  the  wound.  If  any  lint  will 
do  it  good,  it  is  this  lint ;  for  I  scraped  it  myself, 
and  I  will  not  turn  my  back,  at  scraping  lint,  to  any 
man  on  the  Patent.  But  I  ought  to  know  how, 
if  any  body  ought,  for  my  grandfather  was  a  doctor, 
and  my  father  had  a  natural  turn  that  way." 

"  Here,  Squire,  is  the  scissors,"  said  Remarka 
ble,  producing  from  beneath  her  petticoat  of  green 
moreen,  a  pair  of  dull-looking  shears ;  "  well,  upon 
my  say  so,  you  have  sewed  on  the  rags  as  well  as 
a  woman." 

"  As  well  as  a  woman,"  echoed  Richard,  with 
indignation ;  "  what  do  women  know  of  such  mat 
ters  ?  and  you  are  proof  of  the  truth  of  what  I  say. 
Who  ever  saw  such  a  pair  of  shears  used  about  a 
wound  ?  Dr.  Todd,  I  will  thank  you  for  the  scis 
sors  from  the  case.  Now,  young  man,  I  think 
you'll  do.  The  shot  has  been  very  neatly  taken 
out,  although,  perhaps,  seeing  I  had  a  hand  in  it,  1 


THE    PIONEERS.  113 

ought  not  to  say  so  ;  and  the  wound  is  most  admi 
rably  dressed.  You  will  soon  be  well  again; 
though  the  jerk  you  gave  my  leaders  must  have  a 
tendency  to  inflame  the  shoulder,  yet,  you  will  do, 
you  will  do.  You  were  rather  flurried,  I  suppose, 
and  not  used  to  horses  ;  but  I  forgive  the  accident, 
for  the  motive  : — no  doubt,  you  had  the  best  of 
motives ; — yes,  yes,  now  you  will  do." 

"  Then,  gentlemen,"  said  the  wounded  stranger, 
rising,  and  resuming  his  clothes,  "  it  will  be  unne 
cessary  for  me  to  trespass  longer  on  your  time 
and  patience.  There  remains  but  one  thing  more 
to  be  settled,  and  that  is,  our  respective  rights  to 
the  deer,  Judge  Temple." 

"  I  acknowledge  it  to  be  thine,"  said  Marma- 
duke  ;  "  and  much  more  deeply  am  I  indebted  to 
thee,  than  for  this  piece  of  venison.  But  in  the' 
morning  thou  wilt  call  here,  and  we  can  adjust 
this,  as  well  as  more  important  matters.  Eliza 
beth," — for  the  young  lady  being  apprised  that 
the  wound  was  dressed,  had  re-entered  the  hall, — 
"  thou  wilt  order  a  repast  for  this  youth  before 
we  proceed  to  the  church ;  and  Aggy  will  have  a 
sleigh  prepared,  to  convey  him  to  his  friend." 

"  But,  sir,  I  cannot  go  without  a  part  of  the 
deer,"  returned  the  youth,  seemingly  struggling 
with  his  own  feelings  ;  "  I  have  already  told  you, 
that  I  needed  the  venison  for  myself." 

"  Oh  !  we  will  not  Ije  particular,"  exclaimed  Ri 
chard  ;  u  the  Judge  will  pay  you,  in  the  morning, 
for  the  whole  deer  ;  and,  Remarkable,  give  the 
lad  all  the  animal  excepting  the  saddle  ;  so,  on  the 
whole,  I  think,  you  may  consider  yourself  as  a 
very  lucky  young  man ; — you  have  been  shot, 
without  being  disabled ;  have  had  the  wound  dress 
ed  in  the  best  possible  manner,  here  in  the  woods, 
as  well  as  it  would  have  been  done  in  the  Phila- 
10* 


114  THE    PIONEERS. 

delphia  hospital,  if  not  better  ;  have  sold  your  deer 
at  a  high  price,  and  yet  can  keep  most  of  the  car 
cass,  with  the  skin  in  the  bargain.  'Marky,  tell 
Tom  to  give  him  the  skin  too ;  and  in  the  morning, 
bring  the  skin  to  me,  and  I  will  give  you  half-a- 
dollar  for  it,  or  at  least,  three-and-six-pence.  I 
want  just  such  a  skin  to  cover  the  pillion  that  I 
am  making  for  cousin  Bess." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  liberality,  and,  I 
trust,  am  also  thankful  for  my  escape,"  returned 
the  stranger ;  "  but  you  reserve  the  very  part  of 
the  animal  that  I  wished  for  my  own  use.  I  must 
have  the  saddle  myself." 

"  Must !"  echoed  Richard ;  "  must  is  harder  to 
be  swallowed  than  the  horns  of  the  buck." 

"  Yes,  must,"  repeated  the  youth  :  when,  turn 
ing  his  head  proudly  around  him,  as  if  to  see  who 
would  dare  to  controvert  his  rights,  he  met  the  as 
tonished  gaze  of  Elizabeth,  and  proceeded  more 
mildly — "  that  is,  if  a  man  is  allowed  the  posses 
sion  of  that  which  his  hand  hath  killed,  and  the 
law  will  protect  him  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  own." 

"  The  law  will  do  so,"  said  Judge  Temple,  with 
an  air  of  mortification,  mingled  with  surprise. 
Benjamin,  see  that  the  whole  deer  is  placed  in  the 
sleigh ;  and  have  this  youth  conveyed  to  the  hut 
of  Leather-stocking.  But,  young  man,  thou  hast 
a  name,  and  I  shall  see  you  again,  in  order  to  com 
pensate  thee  for  the  wrong  I  have  done  thee?" 

"lam  called  Edwards,"  returned  the  hunter, 
"  Oliver  Edwards.  I  am  easily  to  be  seen,  sir.  for 
I  live  nigh  by,  and  am  not  afraid  to  show  my 
face,  having  never  injured  any  man." 

"  It  is  we  who  have  injured  you,  sir,"  said 
Elizabeth  ;  "  and  the  knowledge  that  you  decline 
our  assistance  would  give  my  father  great  pain, 
He  would  gladly  see  you  in  the  morning." 


THE    PIONEERS.  115 

The  young  hunter  gazed  at  the  fair  speaker, 
wntil  his  earnest  look  brought  the  blood  to  her  very 
temples ;  when,  recollecting  himself,  he  bent  his 
head,  dropping  his  eyes  to  the  carpet,  and  re 
plied — 

"  In  the  morning,  then,  will  I  return,  and  see 
Judge  Temple ;  and  I  will  accept  his  offer  of  the 
sleigh,  in  token  of  our  amity." 

"  Amity  !"  repeated  Marmaduke  ;  "  there  was 
no  malice  in  the  act  that  injured  thee,  young  man  ; 
there  should  be  none  in  the  feelings  which  it  may 
engender." 

"  Forgive  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  those 
who  trespass  against  us,"  observed  Mr.  Grant,  uis 
the  language  of  prayer,  used  by  our  Divine  Master 
himself,  and  it  should  be  the  golden  rule  of  us,  his 
humble  followers." 

The  stranger  stood  a  moment,  lost  in  thought, 
and  then  glancing  his  dark  eyes,  rather  wildly, 
around  the  hall,  he  bowed  low  to  the  divine,  and 
moved  from  the  apartment,  with  an  air  that  would 
not  admit  of  detention. 

"  'Tis  strange  that  one  so  young  should  harbour 
such  feelings  of  resentment,"  said  Marmaduke, 
when  the  door  closed  behind  the  stranger;  "but 
while  the  pain  is  recent,  and  the  sense  of  the  inju 
ry  is  so  fresh,  he  must  feel  more  strongly  than  in 
his  cooler  moments.  I  doubt  not,  we  shall  see 
him,  in  the  morning  more  tractable." 

Elizabeth,  to  whom  this  speech  was  addressed, 
did  not  reply,  but  moved  slowly  up  the  hall,  by 
herself,  fixing  her  eyes  on  the  little  figure  of  the 
English  ingrained  carpet,  that  covered  the  floor , 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  Richard  2jc..ve  a  loud 
crack  with  his  whip,  as  the  stranger  disappeared, 
and  cried — 

"  Well,  'duke,  you  are  your  own  master,  but  I 


116  THE   PIONEERS. 

would  have  tried  law  for  the  saddle,  before  I  would 
have  given  it  to  the  fellow.  Do  you  not  own  the 
mountains,  as  well  as  the  valleys  ?  are  not  the 
woods  your  own?  what  right  has  this  chap,  or  the 
Leather-stocking,  to  shoot  in  your  woods,  without 
your  permission  ?  Now,  I  have  known  a  farmer, 
in  Pennsylvania,  order  a  sportsman  off  his  farm, 
with  as  little  ceremony  as  I  would  order  Benjamin 
to  put  a  log  in  the  stove.  By  the  by,  Benjamin, 
see  how  the  thermometer  stands.  Now,  if  a  man 
has  a  right  to  do  this  on  a  farm  of  a  hundred  acres, 
what  power  must  a  landlord  have,  who  owns  sixty 
thousand — ay  !  for  the  matter  of  that,  including  the 
late  purchases,  a  hundred  thousand?  There  is 
Mohegan,  to  be  sure,  he  may  have  some  right,  be 
ing  a  native ;  but  it's  little  the  poor  fellow  can  do 
now  with  his  rifle.  How  is  this  managed  in  France, 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi  ?  do  you  let  every  body  run 
over  your  land,  in  that  country,  helter-skelter,  as 
they  do  here,  shooting  the  game,  so  that  a  gentle 
man  has  but  little  or  no  chance  with  his  gun  ?" 

"  Bah  !  diable,  no,  Meester  Deeck;"  replied  the 
Frenchman ;  "  we  give,  in  France,  no  liberty,  ex 
cept  to  de  ladi." 

"  Yes,  yes,  to  the  women,  I  know,"  said  Ri 
chard  ;  "  that  is  your  Salick  law.  I  read,  sir,  all 
kinds  of  books ;  of  France,  as  well  as  England ;  of 
Greece,  as  well  as  Rome.  But  if  I  were  in  'duke's 
place,  I  would  stick  up  advertisements  to-morrow 
morning,  forbiding  all  persons  to  shoot,  or  trespass, 
in  any  manner,  on  my  woods.  I  could  write  such 
an  advertisement  myself,  in  an  hour,  as  would  put 
a  stop  to  the  thing  at  once." 

"  Richart,"  said  Major  Hartmann,  very  coolly, 
knocking  the  ashes  from  his  pipe  into  the  spitting- 
box,  by  his  side,  "  now  listen ;  I  have  livet  seven 
ty-five  years  on  ter  Mohawk,  and  in  ter  woots.— 


THE   PIONEERS.  117 

You  hat  petter  mettle  as  mit  ter  deyvel,  as  mit  ter 
hunters.  Tey  live  mit  ter  gun,  and  a  rifle  is  pet 
ter  as  ter  law." 

"A'nt  Marmaduke  a  Judge?"  said  Richard,  in 
dignantly.  "  Where  is  the  use  of  being  a  Judge, 
or  having  a  Judge,  if  there  is  no  law  ?  Damn  the 
fellow  !  I  have  a  great  mind  to  sue  him  in  the 
morning  myself,  before  Squire  Doolittle,  for  med 
dling  with  my  leaders.  I  am  not  afraid  of  his  rifle. 
I  can  shoot  too.  I  have  hit  a  dollar,  many  a  time, 
at  fifty  rods." 

"  Thou  hast  missed  more  dollars  than  ever  thou 
hast  hit,  Dickon,"  exclaimed  the  cheerful  voice  of 
the  Judge  again. — uBut  we  will  now  take  our 
evening's  repast,  which,  I  perceive  by  Remarka- 
ble's  physiognomy,  is  in  the  next  room.  Monsieur 
Le  Quoi,  Miss  Temple  has  a  fair  hand  at  your  ser 
vice.  Will  you  lead  the  way,  my  child  ?" 

"  Ah  !  ma  chere  Mam'selle,  but  too  happy  to  do 
so,"  said  the  polite  Frenchman,  while  he  offered 
his  hand ;  "  it  is  de  consolashong,  in  my  baneesh 
to  meet  a  smile  from  de  fair  ladi." 

Mr.  Grant  and  Mohegan  continued. in  the  hall, 
while  the  remainder  of  the  party  withdrew  to  an 
eating  parlour,  if  we  except  Benjamin,  who  civilly 
remained,  to  close  the  rear  after  the  divine,  and  to 
open  the  front  door  for  the  exit  of  the  Indian. 

"John,"  said  the  divine,  when  the  figure  of 
Judge  Temple  disappeared,  the  last  of  the  group, 
"  to-morrow  is  the  festival  of  the  nativity  of  our 
blessed  Redeemer,  when  the  church  has  appointed 
prayers  and  thanksgivings,  to  be  bfiered  up  by  her 
children,  and  when  all  are  invited  to  partake  of 
the  mystical  elements.  As  you  have  taken  up  the 
cross,  and  become  a  follower  of  good,  and  an  es- 
chewer  of  evil,  John,  I  trust  I  shall  see  you  before 
the  altar,  with  a  contrite  heart  and  a  meek  spirit." 


118  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  John  will  come,"  said  the  Indian,  betraying  no 
surprise;  though  he  did  not  understand  all  the 
terms  used  by  the  other. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Mr.  Grant,  laying  his  hand 
gently  on  the  tawny  shoulder  of  the  aged  chief, 
"  but  it  is  not  enough  to  be  there  in  the  body  only ; 
you  must  come  in  the  spirit,  and  in  truth.  The 
Redeemer  died  for  all,  for  the  poor  Indian,  as  well 
as  for  the  white  man.  Heaven  knows  no  differ 
ence  in  colour ;  nor  must  earth  witness  a  separa 
tion  of  the  church.  It  is  good  and  profitable,  John, 
to  freshen  the  understanding,  and  support  the  wa 
vering,  by  the  observance  of  our  holy  festivals ; 
but  all  form  is  but  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  the  Holy 
One,  unless  it  be  accompanied  by  a  devout  and 
humble  spirit." 

The  Indian  stepped  back  a  little,  and,  raising 
his  body  to  its  utmost  powers  of  erection,  he 
stretched  his  right  arm  on  high,  and  dropped  his 
fore-finger  downward,  as  if  pointing  from  the  hea 
vens,  and  striking  his  other  hand  on  his  naked 
breast,  he  said,  with  energy — 

"  The  eye  of  the  Great  Spirit  can  see  from  the 
clouds  ; — the  bosom  of  Mohegan  is  bare  !" 

"  It  is  well,  John,  and  I  hope  you  will  receive 
profit  and  consolation  from  the  performance  of  this 
duty.  The  Great  Spirit  overlooks  none  of  his 
children  ;  and  the  man  of  the  woods  is  as  much  an 
object  of  his  care,  as  he  who  dwells  in  a  palace.  I 
wish  you  a  good  night,  and  pray  God  to  bless  you.*' 

The  Indian  bent  his  head,  and  they  separated — 
the  one  to  seek  his  hut,  and  the  other  to  join  the 
party  at  the  supper-table.  While  Benjamin  wa? 
opening  the  door  for  the  passage  of  the  chief,  he 
cried,  in  a  tone  that  was  meant  to  be  quite  con 
soling — 

"  The  parson  says  the  word  that  is  true,  Join. 


THE    PIONEERS.  119 

ff-so-be  that  they  took  count  of  the  colour  of  a  skin 
in  heaven,  why,  they  might  refuse  to  muster  on 
their  books  a  Christian-born,  like  myself,  just  for 
the  matter  of  a  little  tan,  from  cruising  in  warm  la 
titudes  ;  though,  for  the  matter  of  that,  this  damned 
nor- wester  is  enough  to  whiten  the  skin  of  a  black 
amoor.  Let  the  reefs  out  of  your  blanket,  man, 
or  your  red  hide  will  hardly  weather  the  night, 
without  a  touch  from  the  frost." 


CHAPTER  VIII 


For  here  the  exile  met  from  every  clime, 
And  ipoke,  in  friendship,  every  distant  tongue 

Campbtll. 

WE  have  made  our  readers  acquainted  with  some 
variety  in  character  and  nations,  in  introducing  the 
most  important  personages  of  this  legend  to  their 
notice  :  but,  in  order  to  establish  the  fidelity  of  our 
narrative,  we  will  briefly  attempt  to  explain  the 
"  why  and  wherefore"  of  so  motley  a  dramatis  per 
sons. 

Europe,  was,  at  the  period  of  our  tale,  in  the 
commencement  of  that  mighty  commotion  which 
afterward  shook  her  political  institutions  to  their 
centre.  Louis  the  Sixteenth  had  been  beheaded, 
and  a  nation,  once  esteemed  the  most  refined 
among  the  civilized  people  of  the  world,  was 
changing  her  character,  and  substituting  cruelty 
for  mercy,  and  subtlety  and  ferocity  for  magnani 
mity  and  courage.  Thousands  of  Frenchmen  were 
compelled  to  seek  protection  in  distant  lands. 
Among  the  crowds  who  fled  from  France  and  her 
islands,  to  the  United  Slates  of  America,  was  the 
gentleman  whom  we  have  already  mentioned  as 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi.  He  had  been  recommended 
to  the  favour  of  Judge  Temple,  by  the  head  of  an 


THE    PIONEERS.  121 

eminent  mercantile  house  in  New- York,  with 
whom  Marmaduke  was  in  habits  of  intimacy,  and 
accustomed  to  an  exchange  of  good  offices.  At 
his  first  interview  with  the  Frenchman,  our  Judge 
had  discovered  him  to  be  a  man  of  breeding,  and 
one  who  had  seen  much  more  prosperous  days  in 
his  own  country.  From  certain  hints  that  had  es 
caped  him,  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  was  suspected  of 
having  been  a  West-India  planter,  great  numbers 
of  whom  had  fled  from  St.  Domingo  and  the  other 
islands,  and  were  now  living  in  the  Union,  in  a 
state  of  comparative  poverty,  and  some  in  absolute 
want.  The  latter,  was  not,  however,  the  lot  of 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi.  He  had  but  little,  he  acknow 
ledged,  but  that  little  was  enough  to  furnish,  in  the 
language  of  the  country,  an  assortment  for  a  store. 
The  knowledge  of  Marmaduke  was  eminently 
practical,  and  there  was  no  part  of  a  settler's  life 
with  which  he  was  not  familiar.  Under  his  direc 
tion,  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  made  some  purchases,  con 
sisting  of  a  few  clothes ;  some  groceries,  with  a 
good  deal  of  tea  and  tobacco ;  a  quantity  of  iron 
ware,  among  which  was  a  large  proportion  of  Bar 
low's  jack-knives,  potash-kettles,  and  spiders;  a 
very  formidable  collection  of  crockery,  of  the 
coarsest  quality,  and  most  uncouth  forms ;  together 
with  every  other  common  article  that  the  art  of 
man  has  devised  for  his  wants,  not  forgetting  the 
luxuries  of  looking-glasses  and  Jew's-harps.  With 
this  collection  of  valuables,  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  had 
stepped  behind  a  counter,  and,  with  a  wonderful 
pliability  of  temperament,  had  dropped  into  his  as 
sumed  character  as  gracefully  as  he  had  ever  mov 
ed  in  any  other.  The  gentleness  and  suavity  of 
his  manners  rendered  him  extremely  popular  ;  be 
sides  this,  the  women  soon  discovered  that  he  had 
a  taste.  His  calicoes  were  the  finest,  or,  in  other 

11 


THE    PIONEERS. 

words,  the  most  showy,  of  any  that  were  brought 
into  the  country ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  look 
at  the  prices  asked  for  his  goods  by  "  so  pretty  a 
spoken  man."  Through  these  conjoint  means,  the 
affairs  of  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  were  again  in  a  pros 
perous  condition,  and  he  was  looked  up  to  by  the 
settlers  as  the  second  best  man  on  the  "  Patent." 

This  term,  Patent,  which  we  have  already  used, 
and  for  which  we  may  have  further  occasion,  meant 
the  district  of  country  that  had  been  originally 
granted  to  old  Major  Effingham,  by  the  "  King's 
letters  patent,"  and  which  had  now  become,  by 
purchase  under  the  act  of  confiscation,  the  proper 
ty  of  Marmaduke  Temple.  It  was  a  term  in  com 
mon  use,  throughout  the  new  parts  of  the  state, 
and  was  usually  annexed  to  the  landlord's  name, 
as  "  Temple's,  or  Effingham's  Patent." 

Major  Hartmann  was  the  descendant  of  a  man, 
who,  in  company  with  a  number  of  his  countrymen, 
had  migrated,  with  their  families,  from  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine,  to  those  of  the  Mohawk.  This  trans 
migration  had  occurred  as  far  back  as  the  reign  of 
Queen  Anne ;  and  their  descendants  were  now 
living,  in  great  peace  and  plenty,  on  the  fertile 
borders  of  that  beautiful  stream. 

The  Germans  or  "  High  Butchers,"  as  they 
were  called,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  original, 
or  Low  Dutch  colonists,  were  a  very  peculiar  peo 
ple.  They  possessed  all  the  gravity  of  the  latter, 
without  any  of  their  phlegm  ;  and,  like  them,  the 
"  High  Butchers"  were  industrious,  honest,  and 
economical. 

Fritz,  or  Frederick  Hartmann,  was  an  epitome 
of  all  the  vices  and  virtues,  foibles  and  excellencies 
of  his  race.  He  was  passionate,  though  silent,  ob 
stinate,  and  a  good  deal  suspicious  of  strangers  ;  of 
immoveable  courage,  inflexible  honesty,  and  unde- 


THE   PIONEERS.  123 

viating  in  his  friendships.  Indeed,  there  was  no 
change  about  him,  unless  it  were  from  grave  to 
gay.  He  was  serious  by  months,  and  jolly  by 
weeks.  He  had  early  in  their  acquaintance,  form 
ed  an  attachment  for  Marmaduke  Temple,  who 
was  the  only  man,  that  could  not  talk  High  Dutch, 
that  ever  gained  his  entire  confidence.  Four  times 
in  each  year,  at  periods  equidistant,  he  left  his  low 
stone  dwelling,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mohawk,  and 
travelled  the  thirty  miles,  through  the  hills,  to  the 
door  of  the  mansion-house  in  Templeton.  Here 
he  generally  staid  a  week,  and  was  reputed  to 
spend  much  of  that  time  in  riotous  living,  counte 
nanced  by  Mr.  Richard  Jones.  But  every  one 
loved  him,  even  to  Remarkable  Pettibone,  to  whom 
he  occasioned  some  additional  trouble  ;  he  was  so 
frank,  so  sincere,  and,  at  times,  so  mirthful.  He 
was  now  in  his  regular  Christmas  visit,  and  had 
not  been  in  the  village  an  hour,  when  Richard 
summoned  him  to  fill  a  seat  in  the  sleigh,  to  meet 
the  landlord  and  his  daughter. 

Before  explaining  the  character  and  situation  of 
Mr.  Grant,  it  will  be  necessary  to  recur  to  times 
far  back  in  the  brief  history  of  the  settlement. 

There  seems  to  be  a  tendency  in  human  nature 
to  endeavour  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  this  world, 
before  our  attention  is  turned  to  the  business  of 
the  other.  Religion  was  a  quality  but  little  culti 
vated  amid  the  stumps  of  Temple's  Patent,  for  the 
first  few  years  of  its  settlement ;  but,  as  most  of  it? 
inhabitants  were  from  the  moral  states  of  Connec 
ticut  and  Massachusetts,  when  the  wants  of  nature 
were  satisfied,  they  began  seriously  to  turn  their 
attention  to  the  introduction  of  those  customs  and 
observances,  which  had  been  the  principal  care  of 
their  forefathers.  There  was  certainly  a  great  va 
riety  of  opinions  on  the  subject  of  grace  and  free- 


THE    PIONEERS. 


will  among  the  tenantry  of  Marmaduke  ;  and,  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  variety  of  the  reli 
gious  instruction  which  they  received,  it  can  easily 
be  seen,  that  it  could  not  well  be  otherwise. 

Soon  after  the  village  had  been  formally  laid  out 
into  the  streets  and  blocks  that  resembled  a  city, 
a  meeting  of  its  inhabitants  had  been  convened,  to 
take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  establish 
ing  an  Academy  !     This  measure  originated  with 
Richard,  who,  in  truth,  was  much  disposed  to  have 
the  institution  designated  a  University,  or  at  least 
a  College.     Meeting  after  meeting  was  held,  for 
this  purpose,  year  after  year.     The  resolutions  of 
these  assemblages  appeared  in  the  most  conspicu 
ous  columns  of  a  little,  blue  looking  newspaper, 
that  was  already  issued  weekly  from  the  garret  of 
a  dwelling-house  in  the  village,  and  which  the  tra 
veller  might  as  often  see  stuck  into  the  fissure  of 
a  stake  that  had  been  erected,  at  the  point  where 
the  footpath  from  the  log  cabin  of  some  settler  en 
tered  the  highway,  as  a-  post-office  for  an  individu 
al.     Sometimes  the  stake  supported  a  small  box, 
and  a  whole  neighbourhood  received  a  weekly  sup 
ply,  for  their  literary  wrants,  at  this  point,  where 
the  man  who  "  rides  post"  regularly  deposited  a 
bundle  of  the  precious  commodity.     To  these  flou 
rishing  resolutions,  which  briefly  recounted  the  ge 
neral  utility  of  education,  the  political  and  geogra 
phical  rights  of  the  village  of  Templeton  to  a  partici 
pation  in  the  favours  of  the  regents  of  the  univer 
sity,  and  the  salubrity  of  the  air,  and  wholesome- 
ness  of  the  water,  together  with  the  cheapness  of 
food,  and  the  superior  state  of  morals  in  the  neigh 
bourhood,  were  uniformly  annexed,  in  large  Roman 
capitals,  the  names  of  Marmaduke  Temple,  as  chair 
man,  and  Richard  Jones,  as  secretary. 

Happily  for  the  success  of  this  undertaking,  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  125 

regents  were  not  accustomed  to  resist  these  ap 
peals  to  their  generosity,  whenever  there  was  the 
prospect  of  a  donation  to  second  the  request. 
Eventually  Judge  Temple  concluded  to  bestow  the 
necessary  land,  and  to  erect  the  required  edifice 
chiefly  at  his  own  expense.  The  skill  of  Mr.,  or, 
as  he  was  now  called,  from  the  circumstance  of  his 
having  received  the  commission  of  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  Squire  DoolittJe,  was  again  put  in  requisi 
tion,  and  the  science  of  Mr.  Jones  was  once  more 
resorted  to. 

We  shall  not  recount  the  different  devices  of 
these  architects  on  the  occasion ;  nor  would  it  be  de 
corous  so  to  do,  seeing  that  there  was  a  convocation 
of  the  society  of  the  ancient  and  honourable  frater 
nity  "  of  the  free  and  accepted  masons,"  at  the 
head  of  whom  was  Richard,  in  the  capacity  of  mas 
ter,  doubtless  to  approve  or  reject  such  of  the 
plans  as,  in  their  wisdom,  they  deemed  to  be  for 
the  best.  The  knotty  point  was,  however,  soon 
decided  ;  and,  on  the  appointed  day,  the  Brother 
hood  marched,  in  great  state,  displaying  sundry 
banners  and  mysterious  symbols,  each  man  with  a 
little  mimic  apron  before  him,  from  a  most  cunning 
ly  contrived  apartment  in  the  garret  of  the  "  Bold 
Dragoon,"  an  inn  kept  by  one  Captain  Hollister, 
to  the  site  of  the  intended  edifice.  Here  Richard 
laid  the  corner-stone,  with  great  state,  amidst  an 
assemblage  of  more  than  half  the  men,  and  all  the 
women,  within  ten  miles  of  Templeton. 

In  the  course  of  the  succeeding  week,  there  was 
another  meeting  of  the  people,  not  omitting  swarms 
of  the  gentler  sex,  when  the  abilities  of  Hiram,  at 
the  "  square  rule,"  were  put  to  the  test  of  expe 
riment.  The  frame  fitted  well ;  and  the  skeleton 
of  the  fabric  was  reared  without  a  single  accident, 
if  we  except  a  few  falls  from  horses,  while  the  la- 
11  * 


126 


THE    PIONEERS. 


bourers  were  returning  home  in  the  dusk  of  the 
evening.  From  this  time,  the  work  advanced  with 
great  rapidity,  and  in  the  course  of  the  season  the 
labour  was  completed ;  the  edifice  standing,  in  all 
its  beauty  and  proportions,  the  boast  of  the  village, 
the  study  of  the  young  aspirants  for  architectural 
fame,  and  the  admiration  of  every  settler  on  the 
Patent. 

It  was  a  long,  narrow  house,  of  wood,  painted 
white,  and  more  than  half  windows ;   and  when 
the  observer  stood  at  the  western  side  of  the  build 
ing,  the  edifice  offered  but  a  small  obstacle  to  a  full 
view  of  the  rising  sun.     It  was,  in  truth,  but  a  very 
comfortless,  open  place,  through  which  the  day- 
light  shone  with  prodigious  facility.     On  its  front 
were  divers  ornaments,  in  wood,  designed  by  Ri 
chard,  and  executed  by  Hiram ;  but  a  window  in 
the  centre  of  the  second  story,  immediately  over 
the  door,  or  grand  entrance,  and  the  "  steeple  " 
were  the  pride  of  the  building.     The  former  was, 
we  believe,  of  the  composite  order,  for  it  included' 
in  its  composition  a  multitude  of  ornaments,  and  a 
great  variety  in  figure.     It  consisted  of  an  arched 
compartment  in  the   centre,  with  a  square,  and 
smaller  division  on  either  side,  the  whole  encased 
in  heavy  frames,  deeply  and  laboriously  moulded 
m  pine  wood,  and  lighted  with  a  vast  number  of 
blurred  and  green-looking  glass,  of  those  dimen 
sions  which  are  commonly  called  "  eight  by  ten." 
Blinds,  that  were  intended  to  be  painted  green, 
kept  the  window  in  a  state  of  preservation,  and 
probably  might  have  contributed  to  the  effect  of 
the  whole,  had  not  the  failure  in  the  public  funds, 
which  seems  always  to  be  incidental  to  any  under 
taking  of  this  kind,  left  them  in  the  sombre  coat 
of  lead  colour  with  which  they  had  been  originally 
clothed,     The  «  steeple."  was  a  little  cupola,  rear- 


THE    PIONEERS.  127 

ed  on  the  very  centre  of  the  roof,  on  four  tall  pil 
lars  of  pine,  that  were  fluted  with  a  gouge,  and 
loaded  with  mouldings.  On  the  tops  of  the  columns 
was  reared  a  dome,  or  cupola,  resembling  in  shape 
an  inverted  tea-cup  without  its  bottom,  from  the 
centre  of  which  projected  a  spire,  or  shaft  of  wood, 
transfixed  with  two  iron  rods,  that  bore  on  their 
ends  the  letters  N.  S.  E.  and  W.,  in  the  same 
metal.  The  whole  was  surmounted  by  an  imitation 
of  one  of  the  finny  tribe,  carved  in  wood,  by  the 
hands  of  Richard,  and  painted,  what  he  called,  a 
"  scale-colour."  This  animal  Mr.  Jones  affirmed 
to  be  an  admirable  resemblance  of  a  great  favourite 
of  the  epicures  in  that  country,  which  bore  the  title 
of  "  lake-fish ;"  and  doubtless  the  assertion  was 
true  ;  for,  although  intended  to  answer  the  pur 
poses  of  a  weathercock,  the  fish  was  observed  in 
variably  to  look,  with  a  longing  eye,  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  beautiful  sheet  of  water  that  lay  imbed 
ded  in  the  mountains  of  Templeton. 

For  a  short  time  after  the  charter  of  the  regents 
was  received,  the  trustees  of  this  institution  em 
ployed  a  graduate  of  one  of  the  eastern  colleges, 
to  instruct  such  youth  as  aspired  to  knowledge, 
within  the  walls  of  the  edifice  which  we  have  de 
scribed.  The  upper  part  of  the  building  was  in 
one  apartment,  and  was  intended  for  gala-days  and 
exhibitions;  and  the  lower  contained  two,  that 
were  intended  for  the  great  divisions  of  education, 
viz.  the  Latin  and  the  English  scholars.  The 
former  were  never  very  numerous;  though  the 
sounds  of  "nominative,  pennaa;  genitive,  penny ," 
were  soon  heard  to  issue  from  the  windows  of  the 
room,  to  the  great  delight  and  manifest  edification 
of  the  passenger. 

Only  one  labourer  in  this  temple  of  Minerva, 
however,  was  knowr.  to  get  so  far  as  to  attempt  a 


I2b  THE    PIONEERS. 

translation  of  Virgil.  He,  indeed,  appeared  at  the 
annual  exhibition,  to  the  prodigious  exultation  of 
all  his  relatives,  a  farmer's  family  in  the  vicinity, 
and  repeated  the  whole  of  the  first  eclogue  from 
memory,  observing  the  intonations  of  the  dialogue 
with  much  judgment  and  effect.  The  sounds,  as 
they  proceeded  from  his  mouth,  of 

"  Titty-ree  too  patty-lee  ree-coo-bans  sub  teg-mi-nee  faa-gy 
Syl-ves-trem  ten-oo-i  moo-sam  med-i-taa-ris  aa-ve-ny" — 

were  the  last  that  had  been  heard  in  that  building, 
as  probably  they  were  the  first  that  had  ever  been 
heard,  in  the  same  language,  there  or  any  where 
else.  For  by  this  time  the  trustees  had  discovered 
that  they  had  anticipated  the  age,  and  the  instruc- 
ter,  or  principal^  was  superseded  by  a  master^  who 
went  on  to  teach  the  more  humble  lesson  of  "  the 
more  haste  the  worse  speed,"  in  good,  plain  En 
glish. 

From  this  time,  until  the  date  of  our  incidents, 
the  Academy  was  a  common  country  school ;  and 
the  great  room  of  the  building  was  sometimes  used 
as  a  court-room,  on  extraordinary  trials;  some 
times  for  conferences  of  the  religious,  and  the  mo 
rally  disposed  in  the  evening ;  at  others  for  a  ball, 
in  the  afternoon,  given  under  the  auspices  of  Ri 
chard  ;  and  on  Sundays,  invariably,  as  a  place  of 
public  worship. 

When  an  itinerant  priest,  of  the  persuasion  of 
the  Methodists,  Baptists,  Universalists,  or  of  the 
more  numerous  sect  of  the  Presbyterians,  was  ac 
cidentally  in  the  neighbourhood,  he  was  ordinarily 
invited  to  officiate,  and  was  commonly  rewarded 
for  his  services  by  a  collection  in  a  hat,  before  the 
congregation  separated.  When  no  such  regular 
minister  offered,  a  kind  of  colloquial  prayer  or  two 
was  made  by  some  of  the  more  gifted  members, 


THE    PIONEERS.  129 

and  a  sermon  was  usually  read,  from  Sterne,  by 
Mr.  Richard  Jones. 

The  consequence  of  this  desultory  kind  of  priest 
hood  was,  as  we  have  already  intimated,  a  great 
diversity  in  opinion,  on  the  more  abstruse  points  of 
our  faith.  Each  sect  had  its  adherents,  though 
neither  was  regularly  organized  and  disciplined. 
Of  the  religious  education  of  Marmaduke,  we  have 
already  written,  nor  was  the  doubtful  character  of 
his  faith  completely  removed  by  his  marriage.  The 
mother  of  Elizabeth  was  an  Episcopalian,  as,  indeed, 
was  the  mother  of  the  Judge  himself;  and  the  good 
taste  of  Marmaduke  revolted  at  the  familiar  collo 
quies  which  the  leaders  of  the  conferences  held 
with  the  Deity,  in  their  nightly  meetings.  In  form, 
he  was  certainly  an  Episcopalian,  though  not  a 
sectary  of  that  denomination.  On  the  other  hand, 
Richard  was  as  rigid  in  the  observance  of  the  ca 
nons  of  his  church  as  he  was  inflexible  in  his  opi 
nions.  Indeed,  he  had  once  or  twice  essayed  to 
introduce  the  Episcopal  form  of  service,  on  the 
Sundays  that  their  pulpit  was  vacant ;  but  Richard 
was  a  good  deal  addicted  to  carrying  all  things  to 
an  excess,  and  then  there  was  something  so  papal 
in  his  air,  that  the  greater  part  of  his  hearers  de 
serted  him  on  the  second  Sabbath — on  the  third, 
his  only  auditor  was  Ben  Pump  ! 

Before  the  war  of  the  revolution,  the  English 
church  was  supported,  in  their  colonies,  with  much 
interest,  by  some  of  its  adherents,  in  the  mother 
country,  and  a  few  of  the  congregations  were  very 
amply  endowed.  But,  for  a  season,  after  the  in 
dependence  of  the  states  was  established,  this  sect 
of  Christians  languished,  for  the  want  of  the  high 
est  order  of  its  priesthood.  Pious  and  suitable 
divines  were  at  length  selected,  and  sent  to  the 
inother  country,  to  receive  that  authority,  which, 


130  THE    PIONEERS. 

it  is  understood,  can  only  be  transmitted  directly 
from  one  to  the  other,  and  thus  obtain,  in  order  to 
preserve,  that  unity  in  their  churches,  which  pro 
perly  belonged  to  a  people  of  the  same  nation. 
But  unexpected  difficulties  presented  themselves, 
in  the  oaths  with  which  the  policy  of  England  had 
fettered  their  establishment ;  and  much  time  was 
spent,  before  a  conscientious  sense  of  duty  would 
permit  the  prelates  of  Britain  to  delegate  the  au 
thority  which  was  so  earnestly  sought.  Time, 
patience,  and  zeal,  however,  removed  every  im 
pediment  ;  and  the  venerable  men,  who  had  been 
set  apart  by  the  American  churches,  at  length 
returned  to  their  expecting  diocesses,  endowed 
with  the  most  elevated  functions  of  their  earthly 
church.  Priests  and  deacons  were  ordained  ;  and 
missionaries  provided,  to  keep  alive  the  expiring 
flame  of  devotion  in  such  members  as  were  depriv 
ed  of  the  ordinary  ministrations,  by  dwelling  in 
new  and  unorganized  districts. 

Of  this  number  was  Mr.  Grant.  He  had  been 
sent  into  the  county  of  which  Templeton  was  the 
capital,  and  had  been  kindly  invited  by  Marma- 
duke,  and  officiously  pressed  by  Richard,  to  take 
up  his  abode  in  the  village  itself.  A  small  and 
humble  dwelling  was  prepared  for  his  family,  and 
the  divine  had  made  his  appearance  in  the  place 
but  a  few  days  previously  to  the  time  of  his  intro 
duction  to  the  reader.  As  his  forms  were  entirely 
new  to  most  of  the  inhabitants,  and  a  clergyman  of 
another  denomination  had  previously  occupied  the 
field,  by  engaging  the  academy,  the  first  Sunday 
after  his  arrival  was  suffered  to  pass  in  silence  ; 
but  now  that  his  rival  had  passed  on,  like  a  me 
teor,  filling  the  air  with  the  light  of  his  wisdom, 
Richard  was  empowered  to  give  notice,  that  a  Pub 
lic  worship,  after  the  forms  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 


THE    PIONEERS,  131 

copal  Church,  would  be  held,  on  the  night  before 
Christmas,  in  the  long-room  of  the  academy  in 
Templeton,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Grant  " 

This  annunciation  excited  great  commotion 
among  the  sectaries  to  whom  it  was  made.  Some 
wondered  as  to  the  nature  of  the  exhibition  ; 
others  sneered  ;  but  a  far  greater  part,  recollecting 
the  essays  of  Richard  in  that  way,  and  mindful  of 
the  liberality,  or  rather  laxity,  of  Marmaduke's 
notions  on  the  subject  of  sectarianism,  thought  it 
most  prudent  to  be  silent. 

The  expected  evening  was,  however,  the  won 
der  of  the  hour;  nor  was  the  curiosity  at  all  dimi 
nished,  when  Richard  and  Benjamin,  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  eventful  day,  were  seen  to  issue  from 
the  woods  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  village, 
each  bearing  on  his  shoulders  a  large  bunch  of 
evergreens.  This  worthy  pair  was  observed  to 
enter  the  academy,  and  carefully  to  fasten  the  door, 
after  which  their  proceedings  remained  a  profound 
secret  to  the  rest  of  the  village ;  Mr.  Jones,  before 
he  commenced  this  mysterious  business,  having 
informed  the  schoolmaster,  to  the  great  delight  of 
the  white-headed  flock  he  governed,  that  there 
could  be  no  school  that  day.  Marmaduke  was 
apprised  of  all  these  preparations,  by  letter,  and  it 
was  especially  arranged,  that  he  and  Elizabeth 
should  arrive  in  season,  to  participate  in  the  so 
iemnities  of  the  evening. 

After  this  digression,  we  shall  return  to  our  nar 
ratire. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Now  all  admire,  in  each  high-flavour'  d  dish 
The  capabilities  of  flesh— fowl— fish  ; 
In  order  due  each  guest  assumes  his  station 
Throbs  high  his  breast  with  fond  anticipation, 
And  prelibates  the  joys  of  mastication. 

Heliogabaliad 

THE  apartment  to  which  Monsieur  Le  Quoi 
handed  Elizabeth,  communicated  with  the  hall, 
through  the  door  that  led  under  the  urn  which  was 
supposed  to  contain  the  ashes  of  Dido.  The  room 
was  spacious,  and  of  very  just  proportions;  but  ID 
its  ornaments  and  furniture,  the  same  diversity  of 
taste,  and  imperfection  of  execution,  were  to  be 
observed,  as  existed  in  the  hall.  Of  furniture, 
there  were  a  dozen  green,  wooden  arm-chairs^ 
with  cushions  of  moreen,  taken  from  the  same 
piece  as  the  petticoat  of  Remarkable.  The  tables 
were  spread,  and  their  materials  and  workmanship 
could  not  be  seen ;  but  they  were  heavy,  and  of 
great  size.  There  was  an  enormous  glass,  in  a 
gilt  frame,  hung  against  the  wall,  and  a  cheerful 
fire,  of  the  hard  or  sugar-maple,  burning  on  the 
hearth.  The  latter  was  the  first  object  that  struck 
the  attention  of  the  Judge,  who,  on  beholding  it, 
exclaimed,  rather  angrily,  to  Richard — 

"  How  often  have  I  forbidden  the  use  of  the 
sugar-maple  for  fires,  in  my  dwelling.  The  sight 
of  that  sap,  as  it  exudes  with  the  heat  from  the 


THE    PIONEERS  133 

ends  of  those  logs,  is  painful  to  me,  Richard. 
Really,  it  behoves  the  owner  of  woods  so  exten 
sive  as  mine,  to  be  cautious  what  example  he  sets 
to  his  people,  who  are  already  felling  the  forests, 
as  if  no  end  could  be  found  to  their  treasures,  nor 
any  limits  to  their  extent.  If  we  go  on  in  this 
way,  twenty  years  hence  we  shall  want  fuel." 

"  Fuel  in  these  hills,  cousin  'duke  !"  exclaimed 
Richard  in  derision — "  fuel  for  our  fires  !  why,  you 
might  as  well  predict,  that  the  fish  will  die,  for  the 
want  of  water  in  the  lake,  because  I  intend,  when 
the  frost  gets  out  of  the  ground,  to  lead  one  or  two 
of  the  springs,  through  logs,  into  the  village.  But 
you  are  always  a  little  wild  on  such  subjects,  Mar- 
maduke." 

"  Is  it  wildness,"  returned  the  Judge,  earnestly, 
"  to  condemn  a  practice,  which  devotes  these  jew 
els  of  the  forest,  these  precious  gifts  of  nature, 
these  mines  of  comfort  and  wealth,  to  the  common 
uses  of  a  fire-place  ?  But  I  must,  and  will,  the  in 
stant  that  the  snow  is  oft'  the  earth,  send  out  a 
party  into  the  mountains  to  explore  for  coal." 

"  Coal !"  echoed  Richard  ;  "  who  the  devil  do 
you  think  will  dig  for  coal,  when  in  hunting  for  a 
bushel,  he  would  have  to  rip  up  more  roots  of 
trees,  than  would  keep  him  in  fuel  for  a  twelve 
month  ?  Poh  !  poh  !  Marmaduke,  you  should 
leave  the  management  of  these  things  to  me,  who 
have  a  natural  turn  that  way.  It  was  I  that  order 
ed  this  fire,  and  a  noble  one  it  is,  to  warm  the  blood 
in  the  veins  of  my  pretty  cousin  Bess." 

"  The  motive,  then,  must  be  your  apology,  Dick 
on,"  said  the  Judge. — "  But,  gentlemen,  we  are 
waiting.  Elizabeth,  my  child,  take  the  head  of 
the  table ;  Richard,  I  see,  means  to  spare  me  the 
trouble  of  carving,  by  sitting  opposite  to  you." 

"  To  be  sure  I  do,"  cried  Richard  ;  "  here  is  a 
12 


134  THE    PIONEERS. 

turkey  to  carve  ;  and  I  flatter  myself  that  I  under 
stand  carving  a  turkey,  or,  for  that  matter,  a  goose, 
as  well  as  any  man  alive.  Mr.  Grant !  where's 
Mr.  Grant  ?  will  you  please  to  say  grace,  sir  ? 
Every  thing  is  getting  cold.  Take  a  thing  from 
the  fire,  this  cold  weather,  and  it  will  freeze  in 
five  minutes.  Mr.  Grant !  we  want  you  to  say 
grace.  '  For  what  we  are  about  to  receive,  the 
Lord  make  us  thankful.'  Come,  sit  down,  sit 
down.  Do  you  eat  wing  or  breast,  cousin  Bess." 

But  Elizabeth  had  not  taken  her  seat,  nor  was 
she  in  readiness  to  receive  either  the  wing  or 
breast.  Her  laughing,  dark  eyes,  were  glancing 
at  the  arrangements  of  the  table,  and  the  quality 
and  selection  of  the  food.  The  eyes  of  her  father 
soon  met  the  wondering  looks  of  his  daughter,  and 
he  said,  with  a  smile — 

"  You  perceive,  my  child,  how  much  we  are  in 
debted  to  Remarkable,  for  her  skill  in  housewife 
ry  ;  she  has  indeed  provided  a  noble  repast ;  such 
as  well  might  stop  the  cravings  of  hunger." 

"  Law  !"  said  Remarkable,  "  I'm  glad  if  the 
Judge  is  pleased ;  but  I'm  notional  that  you'll  find 
the  sa'ce  overdone.  I  thought,  as  Elizabeth  was 
coming  home,  that  a  body  could  do  no  less  than 
make  things  agreeable." 

"  My  daughter  has  now  grown  to  woman's  estate, 
and  is  from  this  moment  mistress  of  my  house," 
said  the  Judge,  sternly  ;  "  it  is  proper  that  all,  who 
live  with  me,  address  her  as  Miss  Temple." 

"  Do  tell  !"  exclaimed  Remarkable,  a  little 
aghast ;  "  well,  who  ever  heerd  of  a  young  wo 
man's  being  called  Miss  ?  If  the  Judge  had  a  wife 
now,  I  should'nt  think  of  calling  her  any  thing  but 
Miss  Temple  ;  but— 

"  Having  nothing  but  a  daughter,  you  will  ob- 


THE    PIONEERS.  135 

serve  that  style  to  her,  if  you  please,  in  future," 
interrupted  Marmaduke. 

As  the  Judge  looked  seriously  displeased,  and, 
at  such  moments,  carried  a  particularly  command 
ing  air  with  him,  the  wary  housekeeper  made  no 
reply ;  and,  Mr.  Grant  entering  the  room,  the 
whole  party  were  soon  seated  at  the  table.  As 
the  arrangements  of  this  repast  were  much  in  the 
prevailing  taste  of  that  period  and  country,  we 
shall  endeavour  to  give  a  short  description  of  the 
appearance  of  the  banquet. 

The  table-linen  was  of  the  most  beautiful  da 
mask,  and  the  plates  and  dishes  of  real  china,  an 
article  of  great  luxury  at  this  early  period  in  Ame 
rican  commerce.  The  knives  and  forks  were  of 
exquisitely  polished  steel,  and  were  set  in  uncloud 
ed  ivory.  So  much,  being  furnished  by  the  wealth 
of  Marmaduke,  was  not  only  comfortable,  but  even 
elegant.  The  contents  of  the  several  dishes,  and 
their  positions,  however,  were  the  result  of  the 
sole  judgment  of  Remarkable.  Before  Elizabeth, 
was  placed  an  enormous  roasted  turkey,  and  be 
fore  Richard,  one  boiled.  In  the  centre  of  the  ta 
ble,  stood  a  pair  of  heavy  silver  castors,  surround 
ed  by  four  dishes  ;  one  a  fricassee,  that  consisted  of 
gray  squirrels ;  another  of  fish  fried ;  a  third  of 
fish  boiled;  the  last  was  a  venison  steak.  Be 
tween  these  dishes  and  the  turkeys,  stood,  on  the 
one  side,  a  prodigious  chine  of  roasted  bear's  meat, 
and  on  the  other  a  boiled  leg  of  delicious  mutton, 
Interspersed  among  this  load  of  meats,  was  every 
species  of  vegetables  that  the  season  and  country 
afforded.  The  four  corners  were  garnished  with 
plates  of  cake.  On  one  was  piled  certain  curious 
ly  twisted  and  complicated  figures,  called  "  nut- 
cakes."  On  another  were  heaps  of  a  black-look 
ing  substance,  which,  receiving  its  hue  from  mo- 


136  THE    PIONEERS. 

lasses,  was  properly  termed  "  sweet-cake  ;"  a 
wonderful  favourite  in  the  coterie  of  Remarkable. 
A  third  was  filled,  to  use  the  language  of  the  house 
keeper,  with  "  cards  of  gingerbread  ;"  and  the  last 
held  a  "  plum-cake,"  so  called  from  the  number  of 
large  raisins  that  were  showing  their  black  heads, 
in  a  substance  of  a  wonderfully  similar  colour. 
At  each  corner  of  the  table  stood  saucers,  filled 
with  a  thick  fluid,  of  somewhat  equivocal  colour 
and  consistence,  variegated  with  small  dark  lumps 
of  a  substance  that  resembled  nothing  but  itself, 
which  Remarkable  termed  her  "  sweet-meats." 
At  the  side  of  each  plate,  which  was  placed  bot 
tom  upwards,  with  its  knife  and  fork  most  accu 
rately  crossed  above  it,  stood  another,  of  smaller 
size,  containing  a  motley-looking  pie,  composed  of 
triangular  slices  of  apple,  mince,  pumpkin,  cran 
berry,  and  custard^  so  arranged  as  to  form  an  en 
tire  whole.  Decanters  of  brandy,  rum,  gin,  and 
wine,  with  sundry  pitchers  of  cider,  beer,  and  one 
hissing  vessel  of  "  flip,"  were  put  wherever  an 
opening  would  admit  of  their  introduction.  Not 
withstanding  the  size  of  the  tables,  there  was 
scarcely  a  spot  where  the  rich  damask  could  be 
seen,  so  crowded  were  the  dishes,  and  their  asso 
ciated  bottles,  plates,  and  saucers.  The  object 
seemed  to  be  profusion,  and  it  was  obtained  en 
tirely  at  the  expense  of  order  and  elegance. 

All  the  guests,  as  well  as  the  Judge  himself, 
seemed  perfectly  familiar  with  this  description  of 
fare,  for  each  one  commenced  eating,  with  an  ap 
petite  that  promised  to  do  great  honour  to  Re- 
markable's  taste  and  skill.  What  rendered  this 
attention  to  the  repast  a  little  surprising,  was  the 
fact,  that  both  the  German  and  Richard  had  been 
summoned  from  another  table,  to  meet  the  judge  ; 
but  Major  Haitmann  both  ate  and  drank  without 


THE    PIONEERS.  137 

any  rule,  when  on  his  excursions  ;  and  Mr.  Jones 
invariably  made  it  a  point  to  participate  in  the  bu 
siness  in  hand,  let  it  be  what  it  would.  The  host 
seemed  to  think  some  apology  necessary  for  the 
warmth  he  had  betrayed  on  the  subject  of  the  lire- 
wood,  and  when  the  party  were  comfortably  seat 
ed,  and  engaged  with  their  knives  and  forks,  he 
observed — 

"  The  wastefulness  cf  the  settlers,  with  the  no 
ble  trees  of  this  country,  is  shocking,  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi,  as  doubtless  you  have  noticed.  I  have  seen 
a  man  fell  a  pine,  when  he  has  been  in  want  of 
fencing-stuff,  and  roll  its  first  cuts  into  the  gap, 
where  he  left  it  to  rot,  though  its  top  would  have 
made  rails  enough  to  answer  his  purpose,  and  its 
but  would  have  sold  in  the  Philadelphia  market 
for  twenty  dollars." 

"  And  how  the  devil — I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr. 
Grant,"  interrupted  Richard ;  "  but  how  is  the 
poor  devil  to  get  his  logs  to  the  Philadelphia  mar 
ket,  pray  ?  put  them  in  his  pocket,  ha !  as  you 
would  a  handful  of  chestnuts,  or  a  bunch  of  chicker- 
berries?  I  should  like  to  see  you  walking  up 
High-street,  with  a  pine  log  in  each  pocket ! — 
Poh  !  poh  !  cousin  'duke,  there  are  trees  enough 
for  us  all,  and  some  to  spare.  Why,  I  can  hardly 
tell  which  way  the  wind  blows,  when  I'm  out  in 
the  clearings,  they  are  so  thick,  and  so  tall ; — I 
couldn't  at  all,  if  it  was'nt  for  the  clouds,  and  I 
happen  to  know  all  the  points  of  the  compass,  as 
it  were,  by  heart." 

"  Ay  !  ay  !  Squire,"  cried  Benjamin,  who  had 
now  entered,  and  taken  his  place  behind  the 
Judge's  chair,  a  little  aside  withal,  in  order  to  be 
ready  for  any  observation  like  the  present ;  "  look 
aloft,  sir,  look  aloft.  The  old  seamen  say,  c  that 
;he  devil  wouldn't  make  a  sailor,  unless  he  look'd 
12* 


138  THE    PIONEERS. 

aloft.'  As  for  the  compass,  why,  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  steering  without  one.  I'm  sure  I  never 
lose  sight  of  the  main-top,  as  I  call  the  Squire's 
look-out,  but  I  set  my  compass,  d'ye  see,  and  take 
the  bearings  and  distance  of  things,  in  order  to 
work  out  my  course,  if-so-be  that  it  should  cloud 
up,  or  the  tops  of  the  trees  should  shut  out  the 
light  of  heaven.  The  steeple  of  St.  Paul's,  now 
that  we  have  got  it  on  end,  is  a  great  help  to  the 
navigation  of  the  woods,  for,  by  the  lord  Harry,  as 
I  was" — 

"  It  is  well,  Benjamin,"  interrupted  Marmaduke, 
observing  his  daughter,  who  manifested  evident 
displeasure  at  the  major-domo's  familiarity ;  "  but 
you  forget  there  is  a  lady  in  company,  and  the  wo 
men  love  to  do  most  of  the  talking  themselves." 

"  The  Judge  says  the  true  word,"  cried  Benja 
min,  with  one  of  his  discordant  laughs  :  "  now  here 
is  Mistress  Remarkable  Prettybones ;  just  take  the 
stopper  off  her  tongue,  and  you'll  hear  a  gabbling, 
worse  like  than  if  you  should  happen  to  fall  to  lee 
ward,  in  crossing  a  French  privateer,  or  some  such 
thing,  mayhap,  as  a  dozen  monkeys  stowed  in  one 
bag." 

It  were  impossible  to  say,  how  perfect  an  illus 
tration  of  the  truth  of  .Benjamin's  assertion  the 
housekeeper  would  have  furnished,  if  she  dare  ; 
but  the  Judge  looked  sternly  at  her,  and,  unwill 
ing  to  incur  his  resentment,  yet  unable  to  contain 
her  anger,  she  threw  herself  out  of  the  room,  with 
a  toss  of  her  body,  that  nearly  separated  her  frail 
form  in  the  centre. 

"  Richard,"  said  Marmaduke,  observing  that  his 
displeasure  had  produced  the  desired  effect,  "  can 
you  inform  me  of  any  thing  concerning  the  youth, 
whom  I  so  unfortunately  wounded  ?  I  found  him 
on  the  mountain,  hunting  in  company  with  the 


THE   PIONEERS.  139 

Leather-stocking,  as  if  they  were  of  the  same  fami 
ly  ;  but  there  is  a  manifest  difference  in  their  man- 
ners.  The  youth  delivers  himself  in  chosen  lan 
guage  ;  such  as  is  seldom  heard  in  these  hills,  and 
such  as  occasions  great  surprise  to  me,  how  one  so 
meanly  clad,  and  following  so  lowly  a  pursuit,  could 
attain.  Mohegan  also  knew  him.  Doubtless  he 
is  a  tenant  of  Natty's  hut.  Did  you  notice  the 
language  of  the  lad,  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  ?" 

"  Certainement,  Monsieur  Tempi',"  returned 
the  Frenchman,  "  he  deed  conevairse  in  de  most 
excellent  Anglaise." 

"  The  boy  is  not  a  miracle,"  exclaimed  Richard ; 
"  I've  known  children  that  were  sent  to  school 
early,  talk  much  better,  before  they  were  twelve 
years  old.  There  was  Zareed  Coe,  old  Nehemi- 
ah's  son,  who  first  settled  on  the  beaverdam  mea 
dow,  he  could  write  almost  as  good  a  hand  as  my 
self,  when  he  was  fourteen  ;  though  it's  true,  I 
helped  to  teach  him  a  little,  in  the  long  evenings 
But  this  shooting  gentleman  ought  to  be  put  in  the 
stocks,  if  he  ever  takes  a  rein  in  his  hand  again. 
He  is  the  most  awkward  fellow  about  a  horse  I 
ever  met  with.  I  dare  say,  he  never  drove  any 
thing  but 'oxen  in  his  life." 

"  There  I  think,  Dickon,  you  do  the  lad  injus 
tice,"  said  the  Judge  ;  "he  uses  much  discretion  in 
critical  moments. — Dost  thou  not  think  so,  Bess  ?" 

There  was  nothing  in  this  question  particularly 
to  excite  the  blushes  of  a  maiden,  but  Elizabeth 
started  from  the  reverie  into  which  she  had  fallen, 
and  coloured  to  her  forehead,  as  she  answered — 

"  To  me,  my  dear  sir,  he  appeared  extremely 
skilful,  and  prompt,  and  courageous ;  but  perhaps 
cousin  Richard  will  say,  I  am  as  ignorant  as  the 
gentleman  himself." 


140  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Gentleman  !"  echoed  Richard  ;  "  do  you  call 
such  chaps  gentlemen,  at  school,  Elizabeth  ?" 

"  Every  man  is  a  gentleman,  who  knows  how  to 
treat  a  woman  with  respect  and  consideration," 
returned  the  young  lady,  promptly,  and  with  an  air 
of  a  little  dignity. 

"  So  much  for  hesitating  to  appear  before  the 
heiress  in  his  shirt  sleeves,"  cried  Richard,  wink 
ing  at  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  who  returned  the  hint 
with  one  eye,  while  he  rolled  the  other,  with  an 
expression  of  great  sympathy,  towards  the  young 
lady. — "  Well,  well,  to  me  he  seemed  any  thing 
but  a  gentleman.  I  must  say,  however,  for  the 
lad,  that  he  draws  a  good  trigger,  and  has  a  true 
aim.  He's  good  at  shooting  a  buck,  ha  !  Marma- 
duke  ?» 

"  Richart,"  said  Major  Hartmann,  turning  his 
grave  countenance  towards  the  gentleman  he  ad 
dressed,  with  much  earnestness,  u  ter  poy  is  goot. 
He  savet  your  life,  and  my  life,  and  ter  life  of  To- 
minie  Grant,  and  ter  life  of  ter  Frenchman ;  and, 
Richart,  he  shall  never  vant  a  pet  to  sleep  in  vile 
olt  Fritz  Hartmann  has  a  shingle  to  cover  his  bet 
mit." 

"  Well,  well,  as  you  please,  old  gentleman,"  re 
turned  Mr.  Jones,  endeavouring  to  look  excessively 
indifferent ;  "  put  him  into  your  own  stone  house, 
if  you  will,  Major.  I  dare  say  the  lad  never  slept 
in  any  thing  better  than  a  bark  shanty  in  his  life, 
unless  it  was  some  such  hut  as  the  cabin  of  Leather- 
stocking.  I  prophesy  you  will  soon  spoil  him  ; 
any  one  could  see  how  proud  he  grew,  in  a  short 
time,  just  because  he  stood  by  my  horses'  heads, 
while  I  turned  them  into  the  highway." 

"  No,  no,  my  old  friend,"  cried  Marmaduke,  "  it 
shall  be  my  task,  to  provide  in  some  manner  for 
the  youth :  I  owe  him  a  debt  of  my  own,  besides 


THE    PIONEERS.  141 

the  service  he  has  done  me,  through  my  friends. 
And  yet  I  anticipate  some  little  trouble,  in  induc 
ing  him  to  accept  of  my  services.  He  showed  a 
marked  dislike,  I  thought,  Bess,  to  my  offer  of  a 
residence  within  these  walls  for  life." 

"  Really,  dear  sir,"  said  Elizabeth,  projecting 
her  beautiful  under-lip,  "  I  have  not  studied  the 
gentleman  so  closely,  as  to  read  his  feelings  in  his 
countenance.  I  thought  he  might  very  naturally 
feel  pain  from  his  wound,  and  therefore  pitied  him ; 
but" — and  as  she  spoke  she  glanced  her  eye,  with 
a  conscious  timidity,  towards  the  major-domo — "  I 
dare  say,  sir,  that  Benjamin  can  tell  you  some 
thing  about  him.  He  cannot  have  been  in  the 
village,  and  Benjamin  not  have  seen  him  often." 

"  Ay  !  I  have  seen  the  boy  before,"  said  Benja 
min,  who  wanted  no  other  encouragement  to  speak : 
"  he  has  been  backing  and  filling  in  the  wake  of 
Natty  Bumppo,  through  the  mountains,  after  deer, 
like  a  Dutch  long-boat  in  tow  of  an  Albany  sloop. 
He  carries  a  good  rifle  too.  The  Leather-stock 
ing  said,  in  my  hearing,  before  Betty  Hollister's 
bar-room  fire,  no  later  than  the  Tuesday  night, 
that  the  younker  was  certain  death  to  the  wild 
beasts.  If-so-be  he  can  kill  the  wild-cat,  that  has 
been  heard  moaning  on  the  lake  side,  since  the 
hard  frosts  and  deep  snows  have  driven  the  deer 
to  her,  he  will  be  doing  the  thing  that  is  good. 
Your  wild-cat  is  a  bad  ship-mate,  and  should  be 
made  to  cruise  out  of  the  track  of  all  Christian 
men." 

"  Lives  he  in  the  hut  of  Bumppo  ?"  asked  Mar- 
maduke,  with  some  interest ;  and  the  full  black 
eyes  of  Elizabeth  resting  intently  on  the  scorched 
visage  of  the  steward,  while  she  waited  his  reply. 

"  Cheek  by  jowl,"  said  Benjamin ;  "  the  Wednes 
day  will  be  three  weeks  since  he  first  hove  in 


142  THE   PIONEERS. 

sight,  in  company  with  Leather-stocking.  They 
had  captured  a  wolf  between  them,  and  had  brought 
in  his  scalp  for  the  bounty.  That  Mister  Bump-ho 
has  a  handy  turn  with  him,  in  taking  off  a  scalp  ; 
and  there's  them,  in  this  here  village,  who  say  he 
larnt  the  trade  by  working  on  Christian  men.  If- 
so-be  that  there  is  truth  in  the  saying,  and  I  com 
manded  along  shore  here,  as  your  honour  does,  why, 
d'ye  see,  I'd  bring  him  to  the  gangway  for  it  yet. 
There's  a  very  pretty  post  rigged  alongside  of  the 
stocks ;  and  for  the  matter  of  a  cat,  I  can  fit  one 
with  my  own  hands ;  ay  !  and  use  it  too,  for  the 
want  of  a  better." 

"  You  are  not  to  credit  all  the  idle  tales,  sir, 
that  you  hear  of  Natty,"  said  the  Judge  :  "  he  has 
a  kind  of  natural  right  to  gain  a  livelihood  in  these 
mountains ;  and  if  the  idlers  in  the  village  take  it 
into  their  heads  to  annoy  him,  as  they  sometimes 
do  reputed  rogues,  they  shall  find  him  protected 
by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law." 

"  Ter  rifle  is  petter  as  ter  law,"  said  the  Major, 
sententiously. 

"  That  for  his  rifle  !"  exclaimed  Richard,  snap 
ping  his  fingers ;  "  Ben  is  right,  and  I" He 

was  stopped  by  the  sounds  of  a  common  shipbell, 
that  had  been  elevated  to  the  belfry  of  the  acade 
my,  which  now  announced,  by  its  incessant  ring 
ing,  that  the  hour  for  the  appointed  service  had 
arrived.  "  c  For  this,  and  every  other  instance  of 
his  goodness' — I  beg  pardon,  Mr.  Grant ;  will  you 
please  to  return  thanks,  sir  ?  it  is  time  we  should 
be  moving,  as  we  are  the  only  Episcopalians  in  the 
neighbourhood ;  that  is,  I,  and  Benjamin,  and  Eli 
zabeth." 

The  divine  arose,  and  performed  the  office, 
meekly  and  fervently,  and  the  whole  party  instant 
ly  prepared  themselves  for  the  church — or  rather 
academy. 


CHAPTER  X. 


u  And,  calling  sinful  man  to  pray, 
Loud,  long,  and  deep  the  bell  had  toll'd." 

Scott's  Bwrgliei. 

WHILE  Richard  and  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  attended 
by  Benjamin,  proceeded  to  the  academy,  by  afoot- 
path  that  was  trodden  in  the  snow,  across  the 
grounds  of  the  Mansion-house,  the  Judge,  his 
daughter,  the  Divine,  and  the  Major,  took  a  more 
circuitous  route  to  the  same  place,  through  the 
streets  of  the  village. 

The  moon  had  risen,  during  the  time  that  our 
travellers  were  housed,  and  its  orb  was  shedding  a 
flood  of  light  over  the  dark  outline  of  pines,  which 
crowned  the  eastern  mountain.  In  other  climates, 
the  sky  would  have  been  thought  clear  and  lucid 
for  a  noon-tide.  The  stars  twinkled  in  the  hea 
vens,  like  the  last  faint  glimmerings  of  distant  fire, 
so  much  were  they  obscured  by  the  overwhelming 
radiance  of  the  atmosphere;  the  rays  from  the 
moon  striking  upon  the  smooth  white  surfaces  of 
the  lake  and  fields,  reflecting  upwards  a  light  that 
was  brightened  by  the  spotless  colour  of  the  im 
mense  bodies  of  snow,  which  covered  the  earth. 

Elizabeth  employed  herself  with  reading  the 
signs,  one  of  which  appeared  over  almost  every 


144  THE    PIONEERS. 

door,  while  the  sleigh  moved,  steadily  and  at  an 
easy  gait,  along  the  principal  street.  Not  only 
new  occupations,  but  names  that  were  strangers  to 
her  ears,  met  her  bewildered  gaze,  at  every  step 
they  proceeded.  The  very  houses  seemed  chang 
ed.  This  had  been  altered  by  an  addition  ;  that 
had  been  painted  ;  another  had  been  erected  on 
the  site  of  an  old  acquaintance,  which  had  been 
banished  from  the  earth  almost  as  soon  as  it  made 
its  appearance  on  it.  All  were,  however,  pouring 
forth  their  inmates,  who  uniformly  held  their  way 
towards  the  point,  where  the  expected  exhibition 
of  the  taste  of  Richard  and  Benjamin  was  to  be 
made. 

After  viewing  the  buildings,  which  really  ap 
peared  to  some  advantage,  under  the  bright  but 
mellow  light  of  the  moon,  our  heroine  turned  her 
eyes  to  a  scrutiny  of  the  different  figures  that  they 
passed,  in  search  of  any  form  that  she  knew.  But 
all  seemed  alike,  as  muffled  in  cloaks,  hoods,  coats, 
or  tippets,  they  glided  along  the  narrow  passages 
in  the  snow,  which  led  under  the  houses,  half  hid 
by  the  bank  that  had  been  thrown  up  in  excavat 
ing  the  deep  path  in  which  they  trod.  Once  or 
twice  she  thought  there  was  a  stature,  or  a  gait, 
that  she  recollected,  but  the  person  who  owned  it 
instantly  disappeared  behind  one  of  those  enormous 
piles  of  wood,  that  lay  before  most  of  the  doors. 
It  was  only  as  they  turned  from  the  main  street 
into  another  that  intersected  it  at  right  angles,  and 
which  led  directly  to  the  place  of  meeting,  that  she 
recognised  a  face  and  building  that  she  knew. 

The  house  stood  at  one  of  the  principal  corners 
in  the  village,  and,  by  its  well-trodden  door- way, 
as  well  as  the  sign,  that  was  swinging,  with  a  kind 
of  doleful  sound,  in  the  blasts  that  occasionally 
swept  down  the  lake,  was  clearly  one  of  the  most 


THE    PIONEERS.  145 

frequented  inns  in  the  place.  The  building  was 
only  of  one  story,  but  the  dormant  windows  in  the 
roof,  the  paint,  the  window-shutters,  and  cheerful 
fire  that  shone  through  the  open  door,  gave  it  an 
air  of  comfort,  that  was  not  possessed  by  many  of 
its  neighbours.  The  sign  was  suspended  from  a 
common  ale-house  post,  and  represented  the  figure 
of  a  horseman,  armed  with  sabre  and  pistols,  and 
surmounted  by  a  bear-skin  cap,  with  a  fiery  animal 
that  he  bestrode  "  rampant."  All  these  particu 
lars  were  easily  to  be  seen,  by  the  aid  of  the  moon, 
together  with  a  row  of  somewhat  illegible  writing, 
in  black  paint,  but  in  which  Elizabeth,  to  whom 
the  whole  was  familiar,  read  with  facility  "  The 
Bold  Dragoon." 

A  man  and  a  woman  were  issuing  from  the 
door  of  this  habitation,  as  the  sleigh  was  passing. 
The  former  moved  with  a  stiff,  military  step,  that 
was  a  good  deal  heightened  by  a  limp  that  he  had 
in  one  teg  ;  but  the  woman  advanced  with  a  mea 
sure  and  an  air,  that  seemed  not  particularly  re 
gardful  of  what  she  might  encounter.  The  light 
of  the  moon  fell  directly  upon  her  full,  broad,  and 
red  visage  ;  exhibiting  her  masculine  countenance, 
under  the  mockery  of  a  ruffled  cap,  that  was  in 
tended  evidently  to  soften  the  lineaments  of  her 
features.  A  small  bonnet  of  black  silk,  and  of  a 
slightly  formal  cut,  was  placed  on  the  back  of  her 
head,  but  so  as  not  to  shade  her  visage  in  the  least. 
Her  face,  as  it  encountered  the  rays  of  the  moon 
from  the  east,  seemed  not  unlike  a  sun  rising  in  the 
west.  She  advanced,  with  masculine  strides,  to 
intercept  the  sleigh,  and  the  Judge,  directing  the 
namesake  of  the  Grecian  king,  who  held  the  lines, 
to  check  his  horses,  the  parties  were  soon  near  to 
each  other. 

luck  to  ye,  and  a  wilcome  home,  Jooge  !" 
13 


146  THE    PIONEERS. 

cried  the  female,  with  a  strong  Irish  accent ;  "and 
I'm  sure  it's  to  me  that  ye'r  always  wilcome. 
Sure  !  and  there's  Miss  'Lizzy,  and  a  fine  young 
woman  is  she  grown.  What  a  heartach  would  she, 
be  giving  the  young  men  now,  if  there  was  sich  a 
thing  as  a  rigiment  in  the  town.  Och !  but  it's 
idle  to  talk  of  sich  vanities,  while  the  bell  is  call 
ing  us  to  mateing,  jist  as  we  shall  be  call'd  away 
unexpictedly,  some  day,  when  we  are  the  laist 
calkilating  on  it.  Good  even,  Major ;  will  I  make 
the  bowl  of  gin-toddy  the  night? — or  it's  likely 
ve'll  stay  at  the  big  house,  the  Christmas  eve,  and 
the  very  night  of  ye'r  getting  there  ?" 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mrs.  Hollister,"  return 
ed  the  voice  of  Elizabeth.  "  I  have  been  trying 
to  find  a  face  that  I  knew,  since  we  left  the  door 
of  the  Mansion-house,  but  none  have  I  seen  except 
your  own.  Your  house,  too,  is  unaltered,  while 
all  the  others  are  so  changed,  that,  but  for  the 
places  where  they  stand,  they  would  be  utter 
strangers.  I  observe  you  keep  also  the  dear  sign, 
that  I  saw  cousin  Richard  paint,  and  even  the  name 
at  the  bottom,  about  which,  you  may  remember, 
you  had  the  disagreement." 

"  Is  it  the  bould  dragoon  ye  mane  ?  and  what 
name  would  ye  have,  who  niverwas  known  by  any 
other,  as  my  husband  here,  the  Captain,  can  testify 
to.  He  was  a  pleasure  to  wait  upon,  and  was  iver 
the  foremost  in  the  hour  of  need.  Och  !  but  he 
had  a  sudden  ind  !  But  it's  to  be  hoped,  that  he 
was  justified  by  the  cause.  And  it's  not  Parson 
Grant  there,  who'll  gainsay  that  same. — Yes,  yes 
— the  Squire  would  paint,  and  so  I  thought  that 
we  might  have  his  face  up  there,  who  had  so  often 
shared  good  and  evil  wid  us.  The  eyes  is  no  so 
large  nor  so  fiery  as  the  Captain's  own,  but  the 
whiskers  and  the  cap  is  as  like  as  two  paas. — Well, 


THE   PIONEERS.  147 

well — I'll  not  keep  ye  in  the  cowld,  talking,  but 
will  drop  in,  the  morrow,  after  sarvice,  and  jist  ask 
ye  how  ye  do.  It's  our  bounden  duty  to  make  the 
most  of  this  present,  and  to  go  to  the  house  which 
is  open  to  all :  so  God  bless  ye,  and  keep  ye  from 
evil. — Will  I  make  the  gin-twist  the  night,  or  no, 
Major  ?" 

To  this  question  the  German  replied,  very 
sententiously,  in  the  affirmative ;  and,  after  a  few 
words  had  passed  between  the  husband  of  this 
fiery-faced  hostess  and  the  Judge,  the  sleigh  moved 
on.  It  soon  reached  the  door  of  the  academy, 
where  the  party  alighted  and  entered  the  build 
ing. 

In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Jones  and  his  two  compa 
nions,  having  a  much  shorter  distance  to  journey, 
had  arrived  before  the  appointed  place  several 
minutes  sooner  than  the  party  in  the  sleigh.  In 
stead  of  hastening  into  the  room,  in  order  to  enjoy 
the  astonishment  of  the  settlers,  Richard  placed 
a  hand  in  either  pocket  of  his  surtout,  and  affected 
to  walk  about,  in  front  of  the  academy,  with  great 
indifference. 

The  villagers  proceeded  uniformly  into  the  build 
ing,  with  a  decorum  and  gravity  that  nothing  could 
move,  on  such  occasions ;  but  with  a  haste  that 
was  probably  a  little  heightened  by  curiosity. 
Those  who  came  in  from  the  adjacent  country, 
spent  some  little  time  in  placing  certain  blue  and 
white  blankets  over  their  horses,  before  they  pro 
ceeded  to  indulge  their  desire  to  view  the  interior 
of  the  house.  Most  of  these  men  Richard  ap 
proached,  and  inquired  after  the  health  and  condi 
tion  of  their  families.  The  readiness  with  which 
he  mentioned  the  names  of  even  the  children, 
showed  how  very  familiarly  acquainted  he  was 
with  their  circumstances ;  and  the  nature  of  the 


148  THE    PIONEERS. 

answers  he  received,  proved  that  he  was  a  general 
favourite. 

At  length  one  of  the  pedestrians  from  the  vil 
lage  stopped  also,  and  fixed  an  earnest  gaze  at  a 
new  brick  edifice,  that  was  throwing  a  long  shadow 
across  the  fields  of  snow,  as  it  rose,  \vith  a  beauti 
ful  gradation  of  light  and  shade,  under  the  rays  of 
a  full  moon.  In  front  of  the  academy  was  a  vacant 
piece  of  ground,  that  was  intended  for  a  public 
square.  On  the  side  opposite  to  where  stood  Mr. 
Jones,  the  new  and  as  yet  unfinished  church  of 
St.  Paul's  was  erected.  This  edifice  had  been 
reared  during  the  preceding  summer,  by  the  aid  of 
what  was  called  a  subscription ;  though  all,  or 
nearly  all,  of  the  money  it  had  cost,  came  from  the 
pocket  of  the  landlord.  It  had  been  built  under 
the  strong  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  a  more 
seemly  place  of  worship  than  "  the  long  room  of 
the  academy,"  and  under  an  implied  agreement, 
that,  after  its  completion,  the  question  should  be 
fairly  put  to  the  people,  that  they  might  decide  to 
what  denomination  it  should  belong.  Of  course, 
this  expectation  kept  alive  a  strong  excitement,  in 
some  few  of  the  sectaries  who  were  interested  in 
its  decision ;  though  but  little  was  said  openly  on 
the  subject.  Had  Judge  Temple  espoused  the 
cause  of  any  particular  sect,  the  question  would 
have  been  immediately  put  at  rest,  for  his  influ 
ence  was  too  powerful  to  be  opposed ;  but  he  de 
clined  all  interference  in  the  matter,  positively  re 
fusing  to  lend  even  the  weight  of  his  name  on  the 
side  of  Richard,  who  had  secretly  given  an  assu 
rance  to  his  Diocesan,  that  both  the  building  and 
the  congregation  would  cheerfully  come  within 
the  pale  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  But 
when  the  neutrality  of  the  Judge  was  clearly  as 
certained,  Mr.  Jones  discovered  that  he  had  to 


THE    PIONEERS.  149 

contend  with  a  stiff-necked  people.  His  first  mea 
sure  was  to  go  among  them,  and  commence  a  course 
of  reasoning,  in  order  to  bring  them  round  to  his 
own  way  of  thinking.  They  all  heard  him  pa 
tiently,  and  not  a  man  uttered  a  word  in  reply,  in 
the  way  of  argument :  and  Richard  thought,  by 
the  time  that  he  had  gone  through  the  settlement, 
the  thing  was  to  be  conclusively  decided  in  his  fa 
vour.  Willing  to  strike  while  the  iron  was  hot,  he 
called  a  meeting,  through  the  newspaper,  with  a 
view  to  decide  the  question  by  a  vote,  at  once. 
Not  a  soul  attended  ;  and  one  of  the  most  anxious 
afternoons  that  he  had  ever  known,  was  spent  by 
Richard  in  a  vain  discussion  with  Mrs.  Hollister, 
who  strongly  contended  that  the  Methodist  (her 
own)  church  was  the  best  entitled  to,  and  most 
deserving  of  the  possession  of  the  new  tabernacle. 
Richard  now  perceived  that  he  had  been  too  san 
guine,  and  had  fallen  into  the  error  of  all  those  who, 
ignorantly,  deal  with  that  wary  and  sagacious  peo 
ple.  He  assumed  a  disguise  himself,  that  is,  as 
well  as  he  knew  how,  and  proceeded  step  by  step 
to  advance  his  purpose. 

The  task  of  erecting  the  building  had  been  unani 
mously  transferred  to  Mr.  Jones  and  Hiram  Doo- 
little.  Together  they  had  built  the  mansion-house, 
the  academy,  and  the  jail;  and  they  alone  knew 
how  to  plan  and  rear  such  a  structure  as  was  now 
required.  Early  in  the  day,  these  architects  had 
made  an  equitable  division  of  their  duties.  To  the 
former  was  assigned  the  duty  of  making  all  the 
plans,  and  to  the  latter,  the  labour  of  superintend 
ing  the  execution. 

Availing  himself  of  this  advantage,  Richard  si 
lently  determined  that  the  windows  should  have 
the  Roman  arch,  as  the  first  positive  step  he  would 
take  in  effecting  his  wishes.  As  the  building  was 
13* 


150  THE    PIONEERS. 

made  of  bricks,  he  was  enabled  to  conceal  his  de 
sign,  until  the  moment  arrived  for  placing  the 
frames  :  then,  indeed,  it  became  necessary  to  act. 
He  communicated  his  wishes  to  Hiram  with  great 
caution  ;  and  without  in  the  least  adverting  to  the 
spiritual  part  of  his  project,  he  pressed  the  point  a 
little  warmly,  on  the  score  of  architectural  beauty. 
Hiram  heard  him  patiently,  and  without  contradic 
tion  ;  but  still  Richard  was  unable  to  discover  the 
views  of  his  coadjutor,  on  this  interesting  subject. 
As  the  right  to  plan  was  duly  delegated  to  Mr. 
Jones,  no  direct  objection  was  made  in  words,  but 
numberless  unexpected  difficulties  arose  in  the 
execution.  At  first,  there  was  a  scarcity  in  the 
right  kind  of  material  necessary  to  form  the  frames ; 
but  this  objection  was  instantly  silenced,  by  Ri 
chard  running  his  pencil  through  two  feet  of  their 
length  at  one  stroke.  Then  the  expense  was  men 
tioned;  but  Richard  reminded  Hiram  that  his 
cousin  paid,  and  that  he  was  his  treasurer.  This 
last  intimation  had  great  weight,  and  after  a  silent 
and  protracted,  but  fruitless  opposition,  the  work 
was  suffered  to  proceed  on  the  original  plan. 

The  next  difficulty  occurred  in  the  steeple, 
which  Richard  had  modelled  after  one  of  the  small 
er  of  those  spires  that  adorn  the  great  London  Ca 
thedral.  The  imitation  was  somewhat  lame,  it  is 
true,  the  proportions  being  but  indifferently  ob 
served  ;  but,  after  much  difficulty,  Mr.  Jones  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  an  object  reared,  that 
bore,  in  its  outlines,  a  prodigious  resemblance  to  an 
old-fashioned  vinegar-cruet.  There  was  less  op 
position  to  this  model  than  to  the  windows,  for 
the  settlers  were  fond  of  novelty,  and  their  steeple 
was  without  a  precedent. 

Here  the  labour  had  ceased  for  the  season,  and 
the  difficult  question  of  the  interior  remained  for 


THE    PIONEERS.  151 

further  deliberation.  Richard  well  knew,  that 
when  he  came  to  propose  a  reading-desk  and  a 
chancel,  he  must  unmask;  for  these  were  arrange 
ments,  known  to  no  church  in  the  country,  but 
his  own.  Presuming,  however,  on  the  advantages 
he  had  already  obtained,  he  boldly  styled  the  build 
ing  St.  Paul's,  and  Hiram  prudently  acquiesced  in 
this  appellation,  making,  however,  the  slight  addi 
tion  of  calling  it  "  New  St.  Paul's,'7  feeling  less 
aversion  to  a  name  taken  from  the  English  Cathe 
dral,  than  from  the  saint. 

The  pedestrian,  whom  we  have  already  men 
tioned,  as  pausing  to  contemplate  this  edifice,  was 
no  other  than  the  gentleman  so  frequently  named 
as  Mr.,  or  Squire,  Doolittle.  He  was  of  a  tall, 
gaunt  formation,  with  sharp  features,  and  a  face 
that  expressed  formal  propriety,  mingled  with  low 
cunning.  Richard  approached  him,  followed  by 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi  and  the  Major  domo. 

"  Good  evening,  Squire,"  said  Richard,  bobbing 
his  head,  but  without  moving  his  hands  from  his 
pockets. 

"  Good  evening,  Squire,"  echoed  Hiram,  turning 
his  body,  in  order  to  turn  his  head  also. 

"  A  cold  night,  Mr.  Doolittle,  a  cold  night,  sir." 

"  Coolish,"  said  Hiram ;  "  a  tedious  spell  on't." 

"  What,  looking  at  our  church,  ha  !  it  looks  well 
by  moonlight ;  how  the  tin  of  the  cupola  glistens, 
I  warrant  you,  the  dome  of  the  other  St.  Paul's 
never  shines  so  in  the  smoke  of  London." 

"  It  is  a  pretty  meeting-house  to  look  on,"  re 
turned  Hiram,  "  and  I  believe  that  Monshure  Ler 
Quow  and  Mr.  Penguilliam  will  allow  it." 

"Sairtainlee!"  exclaimed  the  complaisant  French 
man,  "  it  ees  ver  fine." 

"  I  thought  the  Monshure  would  say  so,"  ob 
served  Hiram.     "  Them  last  molasses  that  we  had 


152  THE    PIONEERS. 

was  excellent  good.  It  isn't  likely  that  you  have 
any  more  of  it  on  hand  ?" 

"  Ah !  oui ;  ees,  sair,"  returned  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi,  with  a  slight  shrug  of  his  shoulder,  and  a  tri 
fling  grimace,  "  dere  is  more.  I  feel  verhappi  dat 
you  love  eet.  I  hope  dat  Madame  Doleet'  is  in 
good  'eaith." 

"  Why,  so  as  to  be  stirring,"  said  Hiram. — "The 
Squire  hasn't  finished  the  plans  for  the  inside  of 
the  meeting  house  yet  ?" 

"No — no — no,"  returned  Richard,  speaking 
quickly,  but  making  a  significant  pause  bet\veen 
each  negative — "  it  requires  reflection.  There  is 
a  great  deal  of  room  to  fill  up,  and  I  am  afraid  we 
shall  not  know  how  to  dispose  of  it  to  advantage. 
There  will  be  a  large  vacant  spot  around  the  pul 
pit,  which  I  do  not  mean  to  place  against  the  wall, 
like  a  sentry-box  stuck  up  on  the  side  of  a  fort." 

"  It  is  ruleable  to  put  the  deacons'  box  under 
the  pulpit,"  said  Hiram ;  and  then,  as  if  he  had 
ventured  too  much,  he  added,  "  but  there's  differ 
ent  fashions  in  different  countries." 

"  That  there  is,"  cried  Benjamin ;  "  now,  in 
running  down  the  coast  of  Spain  and  Portingall, 
you  may  see  a  nunnery  stuck  out  on  every  head 
land,  with  more  steeples  and  outriggers,  such  as 
dog-vanes  and  weather-cocks,  than  you'll  find 
aboard  of  a  three-masted  schooner.  If-so-be  that 
a  well  built  church  is  wanting,  Old  England,  after 
all,  is  the  country  to  go  to,  after  your  models  and 
fashion  pieces.  As  to  Paul's,  thof  I've  never  seen 
it,  being  that  it's  a  long  way  up  town  from  Rad- 
cliffe-highway  and  the  docks,  yet  every  body  knows 
that  il's  the  grandest  place  in  the  world.  Now, 
I've  no  opinion  but  this  here  church  over  there,  is 
as  like  one  end  of  it,  as  a  grampus  is  to  a  whale  ; 
and  that's  only  a  small  difference  in  bulk.  Moun- 


THE    PIONEERS.  153 

sheer  Ler  Quaw  here,  has  been  in  foreign  parts, 
and  thof  that  is  not  the  same  as  having  been  at 
home,  yet  he  must  have  seen  churches  in  France 
too,  and  can  form  a  small  idee  of  what  a  church 
should  be  :  now,  I  ask  the  Mounsheer  to  his  face, 
if  it  is  not  a  clever  little  thing,  taking  it  by  and 
large  ?" 

"  It  ees  ver  apropos  to  saircumstonce,"  said  the 
Frenchman — "  ver  judgement — but  it  is  in  de  ca- 
tholique  country  dat  dey  build  de — vat  you  call — 
ah  a  ah-ha — la  grande  cathedrale — de  big  church. 
St.  Paul,  Londre,  is  ver  fine  ;  ver  bootiful ;  ver 
grand — vat  you  call  beeg ;  but,  Monsieur  Ben, 
pardonnez  moi,  it  is  no  vort  so  much  as  Notre 
Dame" 

"  Ha  !  Mounsheer,  what  is  that  you  say  ?"  cried 
Benjamin — "  St.  Paul's  church  not  worth  so  much 
as  a  damn  !  Mayhap  you  may  be  thinking  too,  that 
the  Royal  Billy  isn't  as  good  a  ship  as  the  Billy  de 
Paris ;  but  she  would  have  lick'd  two  of  her,  any 
day,  and  in  all  weathers." 

As  Benjamin  had  assumed  a  very  threatening 
kind  of  attitude,  flourishing  an  arm,  with  a  bunch 
at  the  end  of  it,  that  was  half  as  big  as  Monsieur 
Le  Quoi's  head,  Richard  thought  it  time  to  inter 
pose  his  authority. 

"  Hush,  Benjamin,  hush,"  he  said ;  "  you  both 
misunderstand  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  and  forget  your 
self. — But  here  comes  Mr.  Grant,  and  the  service 
will  commence.     Let  us  go  in." 

The  Frenchman,  who  received  Benjamin's  reply 
with  a  well-bred  good  humour,  that  would  not  ad 
mit  of  any  feeling  but  pity  for  the  other's  ignorance, 
bowed  in  acquiescence,  and  followed  his  com 
panion. 

Hiram  and  the  Major  Domo  brought  up  the  rear, 
the  latter  grumbling,  as  he  entered  the  building — 


154  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  If-so-be  that  the  King  of  France  had  so  much 
as  a  house  to  live  in,  that  would  lay  along-side  of 
Paul's,  one  might  put  up  with  their  jaw.  It's  mort 
than  flesh  and  blood  can  bear,  to  hear  a  Frenchman 
run  down  an  English  church  in  this  manner.  Why,, 
Squire  Doolittle,  I've  been  at  the  whipping  of  two 
of  them  in  one  day — clean  built,  snug  frigates,  with 
standing-royals,  and  them  new-fashioned  cannon 
ades  on  their  quarters — such  as,  if  they  had  only 
Englishmen  aboard  of  them,  would  have  fout  the 
devil." 

With  this  ominous  word  in  his  mouth,  Benjamin 
entered  the  church  ! 


CHAPTER  XI. 


And  fools,  who  came  to  scoff,  remain'd  to  pray." 

Goldsmith. 


the  united  labours  of  Ri 
chard  and  Benjamin,  the  "  long-room"  was  but  an 
extremely  plain  and  inartificial  temple.  Benches, 
made  in  the  coarsest  manner,  and  entirely  with  a 
view  to  usefulness,  were  arranged  in  rows,  for  the 
reception  of  the  congregation  ;  while  a  rough,  un- 
painted  box,  was  placed  against  the  wall,  in  the 
centre  of  the  length  of  the  apartment,  as  an  apolo 
gy  for  a  pulpit.  Something  like  a  reading-desk 
was  in  front  of  this  rostrum,  and  a  small  mahogany 
table,  from  the  mansion-house,  covered  with  a 
spotless  damask  cloth,  stood  a  little  on  one  side, 
by  the  way  of  an  altar.  Branches  of  pines  and 
hemlocks  were  stuck  in  each  of  the  fissures  that 
offered,  in  the  unseasoned,  and  hastily  completed 
wood-work,  of  both  the  building  and  its  furniture  ; 
while  festoons  and  hieroglyphics  met  the  eye,  in 
vast  profusion,  along  the  brown  sides  of  the  scratch- 
coated  walls.  As  the  room  was  only  lighted  by 
some  ten  or  fifteen  miserable  candles,  and  the  win 
dows  were  without  shutters,  it  would  have  been 
but  a  dreary,  cheerless  place  for  the  solemnities  of 
a  Christmas-eve,  had  not  the  large  fire,  that  was 


156  THE    PIONEERS. 

crackling  at  each  end  of  the  apartment,  given  an  air 
of  cheerfulness  to  the  scene,  by  throwing  an  oc 
casional  glare  of  light  through  the  vistas  of  bushes 
and  faces. 

The  two  sexes  were  separated  by  an  area  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  immediately  before  the  pulpit, 
and  a  few  benches  lined  this  space,  that  were  oc 
cupied  by  the  principal  personages  of  the  village 
and  its  vicinity.  This  distinction  was  rather  a 
gratuitous  concession,  made  by  the  poorer  and  less 
polished  part  of  the  population,  than  a  right  claim 
ed  by  the  favoured  few.  One  bench  was  occupied 
by  the  party  of  Judge  Temple,  including  his  daugh 
ter,  and,  with  the  exception  of  Dr.  Todd,  no  one 
else  appeared  willing  to  incur  the  imputation  of 
pride,  by  taking  a  seat  in  what  was,  literally,  the 
high  place  of  the  tabernacle. 

"Richard  filled  a  chair,  that  was  placed  behind 
another  table,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk ;  while  Ben 
jamin,  after  heaping  sundry  logs  on  the  fires,  posted 
himself  nigh  by,  in  reserve  for  any  movement  that 
might  require  his  co-operation. 

It  would  be  greatly  exceeding  our  limits  to  at 
tempt  a  description  of  the  congregation,  for  their 
dresses  were  as  various  as  there  were  individuals. 
Some  one  article,  of  more  than  usual  finery,  and 
perhaps  the  relic  of  other  days,  was  to  be  seen 
about  most  of  the  females,  in  connexion  with  the 
coarse  attire  of  the  woods.  This,  wore  a  faded 
silk,  that  had  gone  through  at  least  three  genera 
tions,  over  coarse,  woollen,  black  stockings  ;  that, 
a  shawl,  whose  dies  were  as  numerous  as  those  of 
the  rainbow,  over  an  awkwardly  fitting  gown,  of 
rough,  brown  "  woman's  wear."  In  short,  each 
one  exhibited  some  favourite  article,  and  all  ap 
peared  in  their  best,  both  men  and  women  ;  while 
the  ground -works  in  dress,  in  either  sex,  were  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  157 

coattse  fabrics  manufactured  within  their  own  dwell 
ings.  One  man  appeared  in  the  dress  of  a  volun 
teer  company  of  artillery,  of  which  he  had  been  a 
member,  in  the  "  down-countries,"  precisely  for 
no  other  reason,  than  because  it  was  the  best  suit 
he  had.  Several,  particularly  of  the  younger 
men,  displayed  pantaloons  of  blue,  edged  with  red 
cloth  down  the  seams,  part  of  the  equipments  of 
the  "  Templeton  Light  Infantry,"  from  little  va 
nity  to  be  seen  in  "  boughten  clothes."  There 
was  also  one  man  in  a  "  rifle  frock,"  with  its 
fringes  and  folds  of  spotless  white,  striking  a  chill 
to  the  heart  with  the  idea  of  its  coolness ;  although 
the  thick  coat  of  brown  "home  made,"  that  was 
concealed  beneath,  preserved  to  the  wearer  a  pro 
per  degree  of  warmth. 

There  was  a  marked  uniformity  of  expression 
in  countenance,  especially  in  that  half  of  the  con 
gregation,  who  did  not  enjoy  the  advantages  of  the 
polish  of  the  village.  A  sallow  skin,  that  indicated 
nothing  but  exposure,  was  common  to  all,  as  was 
an  air  of  great  decency  and  attention,  mingled, 
generally,  with  an  expression  of  shrewdness,  and, 
in  the  present  instance,  of  active  curiosity.  Now 
and  then  a  face  and  dress  were  to  be  seen,  among 
the  congregation,  that  differed  entirely  from  this 
description.  If  pock-marked,  and  florid,  with  gai 
tered  legs,  and  a  coat  that  snugly  fitted  the  person 
of  the  wearer,  it  was  surely  an  English  emigrant, 
who  had  bent  his  steps  to  this  retired  quarter  of 
the  globe.  If  hard-featured,  and  without  colour, 
with  high  cheek  bones,  it  was  a  native  of  Scot 
land,  in  similar  circumstances.  The  short,  black- 
eyed  man,  with  a  cast  of  the  swarthy  Spaniard  in 
his  face,  who  rose  repeatedly,  to  make  room  for 
the  belles  of  the  village,  as  they  entered,  was  a 
son  of  Erin,  who  had  lately  left  off  his  pack,  and 
14 


158  THE    PIONEERS. 

become  a  stationary  trader  in  Templeton.  In  short, 
half  the  nations  in  the  north  of  Europe  had  their 
representatives  in  this  assembly,  though  all  had 
closely  assimilated  themselves  to  the  Americans, 
in  dress  and  appearance,  except  the  Englishman. 
He,  indeed,  not  only  adhered  to  his  native  cus 
toms,  in  attire  and  living,  but  usually  drove  his 
plough,  among  the  stumps,  in  the  same  manner  as 
he  had  before  done,  on  the  plains  of  Norfolk,  until 
dear-bought  experience  taught  him  the  useful  les 
son,  that  a  sagacious  people  knew  what  was  suited 
to  their  circumstances,  better  than  a  casual  ob 
server;  or  a  sojourner,  who  was,  perhaps,  too 
much  prejudiced  to  compare,  and,  peradventure, 
too  conceited  to  learn. 

Elizabeth  soon  discovered  that  she  divided  the 
attention  of  the  congregation,  equally  with  Mr. 
Grant.  Timidity,  therefore,  confined  her  obser 
vation  of  the  appearances  which  we  have  describ 
ed,  to  stolen  glances ;  but,  as  the  stamping  of  feet 
was  now  becoming  less  frequent,  and  even  the 
coughing,  and  other  little  preliminaries  of  a  con 
gregation  settling  themselves  down  into  reverential 
attention,  were  ceasing,  she  felt  emboldened  to 
look  around  her.  Gradually  all  noises  diminished, 
until  the  suppressed  cough  denoted  that  it  was 
necessary  to  avoid  singularity,  and  the  most  pro 
found  stillness  pervaded  the  apartment.  The  snap 
ping  of  the  fires,  as  they  threw  a  powerful  heat 
into  the  room,  was  alone  heard,  and  each  face,  and 
every  eye,  were  turned  in  expectation  on  the 
divine. 

At  this  moment,  a  heavy  stamping  of  feet  was 
heard  in  the  passage  below,  as  if  a  new  comer  was 
releasing  his  limbs  from  the  snow,  that  was  neces 
sarily  clinging  to  the  legs  of  a  pedestrian.  It  was 
succeeded  by  no  audible  tread ;  but  directly  Mo- 


THE   PIONEEHS.  159 

began,  followed  by  the  Leather-stocking  and  the 
young  hunter,  made  his  appearance.  Their  foot 
steps  would  not  have  been  heard,  as  they  trod  the 
apartment  in  their  moccasins,  but  for  the  silence 
which  prevailed. 

The  Indian  moved  with  great  gravity  across  the 
floor,  andj  observing  a  vacant  seat  next  to  the 
Judge,  he  took  it,  in  a  manner  that  manifested  his 
sense  of  his  own  dignity.  Here,  drawing  his 
blanket  closely  around  him,  so  as  partly  to  con 
ceal  his  countenance,  he  remained  during  the  ser 
vice,  immoveable,  but  deeply  attentive.  Natty 
passed  the  place,  that  was  so  freely  taken  by  his 
red  companion,  and  seated  himself  on  one  end  of 
a  log  that  was  lying  near  the  fire,  wrhere  he  con 
tinued,  with  his  rifle  standing  between  his  legs,  ab 
sorbed  in  reflections,  seemingly,  of  no  very  pleasing 
nature.  The  youth  found  a  seat  among  the  con 
gregation,  and  another  dead  silence  prevailed. 

Mr.  Grant  now  arose,  and  commenced  his  ser 
vice,  with  the  sublime  declaration  of  the  Hebrew 
prophet — "  The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple ;  let  all 
the  earth  keep  silence  before  him."  The  example 
of  Mr.  Jones  was  unnecessary,  to  teach  the  congre 
gation  to  rise  :  the  solemnity  of  the  manner  of  the 
divine  effected  this  as  by  magic.  After  a  short 
pause,  Mr.  Grant  proceeded  with  the  solemn  and 
winning  exhortation  of  his  service.  Nothing  was 
heard  but  the  deep,  though  affectionate,  tones  of 
the  reader,  as  he  slowly  went  through  this  exordi 
um;  until,  something  unfortunately  striking  the 
mind  of  Richard  as  incomplete,  he  left  his  place, 
and  walked  on  tip-toe  from  the  room. 

When  the  clergyman  bent  his  knees  in  prayer 
and  confession,  the  congregatior  so  far  imitated  his 
example,  as  to  resume  their  seats ;  whence  no  suc 
ceeding  effort  of  the  divine,  during  the  evening,  was 


160  THE    PIONEERS. 

able  to  remove  them  in  a  body.  Some  rose,  at 
times,  but  by  far  the  larger  part  continued  unbend 
ing  ;  observant,  it  is  true,  but  it  was  the  kind  of 
observation  that  regarded  the  ceremony  as  a  spec 
tacle,  rather  than  a  worship  in  which  all  were  to 
participate.  Thus  deserted  by  his  clerk,  Mr.  Grant 
continued  to  read  ;  but  no  response  was  audible. 
The  short  and  solemn  pause,  that  succeeded  each 
petition,  was  made  ;  still  no  voice  repeated  the 
eloquent  language  of  the  prayer. 

The  lips  of  Elizabeth  moved,  but  they  moved 
in  vain ;  and,  accustomed,  as  she  was,  to  the  ser 
vice  in  the  churches  of  the  metropolis,  she  was 
beginning  to  feel  the  awkwardness  of  the  circum 
stance  most  painfully,  when  a  soft,  low,  female 
voice  repeated  after  the  priest,  "  We  have  left  un 
done  those  things  which  we  ought  to  have  done." 
Startled,  at  finding  one  of  her  own  sex  in  that 
place,  who  could  rise  superior  to  their  natural  ti 
midity,  Miss  Temple  turned  her  eyes  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  humble  penitent.  She  observed  a 
young  female,  on  her  knees,  but  a  short  distance 
from  her,  with  her  meek  face  humbly  bent  over 
her  book.  The  appearance  of  this  stranger,  for 
such  she  was,  entirely,  to  Elizabeth,  was  light  and 
fragile.  Her  dress,  without  being  either  rich  or 
fashionable,  was  neat  and  becoming ;  and  hei 
countenance,  though  pale,  and  slightly  agitated, 
excited  deep  interest,  by  its  sweet,  and  perhaps 
melancholy  expression.  A  second  and  third  re 
sponse  were  made  by  this  juvenile  assistant,  when 
the  rich,  manly  sounds  of  a  youthful,  male  voice, 
proceeded  from  the  opposite  part  of  the  room. 
Miss  Temple  knew  the  tones  of  the  young  hunter 
instantly,  and,  struggling  to  overcome  her  own 
diffidence,  she  added  her  low  voice  to  the  number. 

All   this   time,    Benjamin    stood    thumbing  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  161 

leaves  of  a  prayer-book  with  great  industry,  but 
some  unexpected  difficulties  prevented  his  finding 
the  place.  Before  the  divine  reached  the  close  of 
the  confession,  however,  Richard  re-appeared  at 
the  door,  and,  as  he  moved  lightly  across  the  room, 
he  took  up  the  response,  in  a  voice  that  betrayed 
no  other  concern  than  that  of  not  being  heard.  In 
his  hand  he  carried  a  small  open  box,  with  the 
figures  of  "  8  by  10"  written  in  black  paint,  on  one 
of  its  sides ;  which  having  placed  in  the  pulpit, 
apparently  as  a  footstool  for  the  divine,  he  return 
ed  to  his  station  in  time  to  say,  most  sonorously, 
u  amen."  The  eyes  of  the  congregation,  very 
naturally,  were  turned  to  the  windows,  as  Mr. 
Jones  entered  with  this  singular  load,  and  then,  as 
if  accustomed  to  his  "  general  agency,"  were  again 
bent  on  the  priest,  in  close  and  curious  attention. 
The  long  experience  of  Mr.  Grant  had  admira 
bly  qualified  him  to  perform  with  success  his  pre 
sent  duty.  He  well  understood  the  character  of 
his  listeners,  who  were  mostly  a  primitive  people 
in  their  habits ;  and  who,  being  a  good  deal  ad 
dicted  to  subtleties  and  nice  distinctions  in  their 
religious  opinions,  viewed  the  introduction  into 
their  spiritual  worship  of  any  such  temporal  assist 
ance  as  form,  not  only  with  jealousy,  but  frequent 
ly  with  disgust.  He  had  acquired  much  of  his 
knowledge  from  studying  the  great  book  of  hu 
man  nature,  as  it  lay  open  in  the  world  ;  and, 
knowing  how  dangerous  it  was  to  contend  with  ig 
norance,  uniformly  endeavoured  to  avoid  dictating, 
where  his  better  reason  taught  him  it  was  the 
most  prudent  to  attempt  to  lead.  His  orthodoxy 
had  no  dependence  on  his  cassock ;  he  could  pray, 
with  fervour  and  with  faith,  if  circumstances  re 
quired  it,  without  the  assistance  of  his  clerk ;  and 
he  had  even  been  known  to  preach  a  most  evan- 
14  * 


162  THE    PIONEERS. 

gelical  sermon,  in  the  winning  mannei  of  native 
eloquence,  without  the  aid  of  a  cambric  handker 
chief. 

In  the  present  instance  he  yielded,  in  many 
places,  to  the  prejudices  of  his  congregation  ;  and 
when  he  had  ended,  there  was  not  one  of  his  new 
hearers,  who  did  not  think  the  ceremonies  less 
papal  and  offensive,  and  more  conformant  to  his 
or  her  own  notions  of  devout  worship,  than  they 
had  been  led  to  expect  from  a  service  of  forms. 
Truly,  Richard  found  in  the  divine,  during  the 
evening,  a  most  powerful  co-operator  in  his  reli 
gious  schemes.  In  preaching,  Mr.  Grant  endea 
voured  to  steer  a  middle  course,  between  the 
mystical  doctrines  of  those  sublimated  creeds, 
which  daily  involve  their  professors  in  the  most 
absurd  contradictions,  and  those  fluent  rules  for 
moral  government,  which  would  reduce  the  Sa 
viour  to  a  level  with  the  teacher  of  a  school  of 
ethics.  Doctrine  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
preach,  for  nothing  less  would  have  satisfied  the 
disputatious  people  who  were  his  listeners,  and 
who  would  have  interpreted  silence  on  his  part, 
into  a  tacit  acknowledgment  of  either  the  super 
ficial  nature  of  his  creed,  or  his  own  inability  to 
defend  it.  We  have  already  said  that,  among  the 
endless  variety  of  their  religious  instructers,  the 
settlers  were  accustomed  to  hear  every  denomi 
nation  urge  its  own  distinctive  precepts ;  and  to 
have  found  one  indifferent  to  this  interesting  sub 
ject,  would  have  been  destructive  to  his  influence. 
But  Mr.  Grant  so  happily  blended  the  universally 
received  opinions  of  the  Christian  faith,  with  the 
dogmas  of  his  own  church,  that,  although  none 
were  entirely  exempt  from  the  influence  of  his 
reasons,  very  few  took  any  alarm  at  the  innova 
tion. 


THE   PIONEERS.  163 

"When  we  consider  the  great  diversity  of  the 
human  character,  influenced  as  it  is  by  education, 
by  opportunity,  and  by  the  physical  and  moral  con 
ditions  of  the  creature,  my  dear  hearers,"  he  ear 
nestly  concluded,  "  it  can  excite  no  surprise, 
that  creeds,  so  very  different  in  their  tendencies, 
should  grow  out  of  a  religion,  revealed,  it  is  true, 
but  whose  revelations  are  obscured  by  the  lapse 
of  ages,  and  whose  doctrines  were,  after  the  fa 
shion  of  the  countries  in  which  they  were  first  pro 
mulgated,  frequently  delivered  in  parables,  and  in 
a  language  abounding  in  metaphors,  and  loaded 
with  figures.  On  points  where  the  learned  Lave, 
in  purity  of  heart,  been  compelled  to  differ,  the 
unlettered  will  necessarily  be  at  variance.  But, 
happily  for  us,  my  brethren,  the  fountain  of  divine 
love  flows  from  a  source  too  pure  to  admit  of  pol 
lution  in  its  course  ;  it  extends,  to  those  who  drink 
of  its  vivifying  waters,  the  peace  of  the  righteous, 
and  life  everlasting ;  it  endures  through  all  time, 
and  it  pervades  creation.  If  there  be  mystery  in 
its  workings,  it  is  the  mystery  of  a  Divinity.  With 
a  clear  knowledge  of  the  nature,  the  might,  and 
majesty  of  God,  there  might  be  conviction,  but 
there  could  be  no  faith.  If  we  are  required  to  be 
lieve  in  doctrines  that  seem  not  in  conformity  with 
the  deductions  of  human  wisdom,  let  us  never  for 
get,  that  such  is  the  mandate  of  a  wisdom  that  is 
infinite.  It  is  sufficient  for  us,  that  enough  is  de 
veloped  to  point  our  path  aright,  and  to  direct  our 
wandering  steps  to  that  portal,  which  shall  open 
on  the  light  of  an  eternal  day.  Then,  indeed,  it 
may  be  humbly  hoped,  that  the  film,  which  has 
been  spread  by  the  subtleties  of  earthly  arguments, 
will  be  dissipated  by  the  spiritual  light  of  heaven ; 
and  that  our  hour  of  probation,  by  the  aid  of  divine 
grace,  being  once  passed  in  triumph,  will  be  fol- 


164  THE    PIONEERS. 

lowed  by  an  eternity  of  intelligence,  and  endless 
ages  of  fruition.  All  that  is  now  obscure  shall  be 
come  plain  to  our  expanded  faculties  ;  and  what  to 
our  present  senses  may  seem  irreconcilable  to 
our  limited  notions  of  mercy,  of  justice,  and  of  love, 
shall  stand,  irradiated  by  the  light  of  truth,  con 
fessedly  the  suggestions  of  Omniscience,  and  the 
acts  of  an  All-powerful  Benevolence. 

"  What  a  lesson  of  humility,  my  brethren,  might 
not  each  of  us  obtain,  from  a  review  of  his  infant 
hours,  and  the  recollection  of  his  juvenile  passions ! 
How  differently  do  the  same  acts  of  parental  ri 
gour  appear,  in  the  eyes  of  the  suffering  child,  and 
of  the  chastened  man  !  When  the  sophist  would 
supplant,  with  the  wild  theories  of  his  worldly  wis 
dom,  the  positive  mandates  of  inspiration,  let  him 
remember  the  expansion  of  his  own  feeble  intel 
lects,  and  pause — let  him  feel  the  wisdom  of  God, 
in  what  is  partially  concealed,  as  well  as  in  that 
which  is  revealed ; — in  short,  let  him  substitute  hu 
mility  for  pride  of  reason — let  him  have  faith,  and 
live ! 

"  The  consideration  of  this  subject  is  full  of  con 
solation,  my  hearers,  and  does  not  fail  to  bring 
with  it  lessons  of  humility  and  of  profit,  that,  duly 
improved,  would  both  chasten  the  heart,  and 
strengthen  the  feeble-minded  man  in  his  course. 
It  is  a  blessed  consolation,  to  be  able  to  lay  the 
misdoubtings  of  our  arrogant  nature  at  the  threshold 
of  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Deity,  from  whence 
they  shall  be  swept  away,  at  the  great  opening  of 
the  portal,  like  the  mists  of  the  morning  before  the 
rising  sun.  It  teaches  us  a  lesson  of  humility,  by 
impressing  us  with  the  imperfection  of  human 
powers,  and  by  warning  us  of  the  many  weak 
points,  where  we  are  open  to  the  attacks  of  the 
great  enemy  of  our  race ;  it  proves  to  us,  that  we 


THE    PIONEERS.  165 

are  in  danger  of  being  weak,  when  our  vanity 
would  fain  sooth  us  into  the  belief  that  we  are 
most  strong  ;  it  forcibly  points  out  to  us  the  vain 
glory  of  intellect,  and  shows  us  the  vast  difference 
between  a  saving  faith,  and  the  corollaries  of  a  phi 
losophical  theology ;  and  it  teaches  us  to  reduce 
our  self-examination  to  the  test  of  good  works. 
By  good  works,  must  be  understood  the  fruits  of 
repentance,  the  chiefest  of  which  is  charity.  N^t 
that  charity  only,  which  causes  us  to  help  the 
needy  and  comfort  the  suffering,  but  that  feeling 
of  universal  philanthropy,  which,  by  teaching  us  to 
love,  causes  us  to  judge  with  lenity,  all  men;  strik 
ing  at  the  root  of  self-righteousness,  and  warning 
us  to  be  sparing  of  our  condemnation  of  others, 
while  our  own  salvation  is  not  yet  secure. 

"  The  lesson  of  expediency,  my  brethren,  which 
I  would  gather  from  the  consideration  of  this  sub 
ject,  is  most  strongly  inculcated  by  our  humility. 
On  the  leading  and  essential  points  of  our  faith, 
there  is  but  little  difference,  among  those  classes  of 
Christians  who  acknowledge  the  attributes  of  the 
Saviour,  and  depend  on  his  mediation.  But  here 
sies  have  polluted  every  church,  and  schisms  are 
the  fruits  of  disputation.  In  order  to  arrest  these 
dangers,  and  to  ensure  the  union  of  his  followers,  it 
would  seem  that  Christ  had  established  his  visible 
church,  and  delegated  the  ministry.  Wise  and 
holy  men,  the  fathers  of  our  religion,  have  expend 
ed  their  labours  in  clearing  what  was  revealed  from 
the  obscurities  of  language,  and  the  results  of  their 
experience  and  researches  have  been  embodied  in 
the  form  of  evangelical  discipline.  That  this  dis 
cipline  must  be  salutary,  is  evident  from  the  view 
of  the  weakness  of  human  nature  that  we  have  al 
ready  taken  :  and  that  it  may  be  profitable  to  us, 
and  all  who  listen  to  its  precepts  and  its  liturgy, 


166  THE    PIONEERS. 

raay  God,  in  his  infinite  wisdom,  grant. — Acd  now 
to,"  &c. 

With  this  ingenious  reference  to  his  own  forms 
and  ministry,  Mr.  Grant  concluded  his  discourse. 
The  most  profound  attention  had  been  paid  to  the 
sermon  during  the  whole  of  its  delivery,  although 
the  prayers  had  not  been  received  with  such  a  per 
fect  demonstration  of  respect.  This  was  by  no 
means  an  intended  slight  of  that  liturgy,  to  which 
the  divine  had  alluded,  but  was  the  habit  of  a  peo 
ple,  who  owed  their  very  existence,  as  a  distinct 
nation,  to  the  doctrinal  character  of  their  ancestors. 
Sundry  looks  of  private  dissatisfaction  were  ex 
changed  between  Hiram  and  one  or  two  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  conference,  but  the  feeling 
went  no  farther  at  that  time  ;  and  the  congregation, 
after  receiving  the  blessing  of  Mr.  Grant,  dispersed 
in  silence,  <md  with  great  decorum. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Your  creeds  and  dogmas  of  a  learned  chorch 
May  build  a  fabric,  fair  with  moral  beauty; 
But  it  would  seem,  that  the  strong  hand  of  God 
Can,  only,  'rase  the  devil  from  the  heart. 

Duo 


WHILE  the  congregation  was  separating,  Mr, 
Grant  approached  the  place  where  Elizabeth  and 
her  father  were  seated,  leading  the  youthful  female, 
whom  we  have  mentioned  in  the  preceding  chap 
ter,  and  presented  her  as  his  daughter.  Her  re 
ception  was  as  cordial  and  frank  as  the  manners  of 
the  country,  and  the  value  of  good  society,  could 
render  it ;  the  two  young  women  feeling,  instantly, 
that  they  were  necessary  to  the  comfort  of  each 
other.  The  Judge,  to  whom  the  clergyman's 
daughter  was  also  a  stranger,  was  pleased  to  find 
one,  who,  from  habits,  sex,  and  years,  could  proba 
bly  contribute  largely  to  the  pleasures  of  his  own 
child,  during  her  first  privations,  on  her  removal 
from  the  associations  of  a  city  to  the  solitude  of 
Templeton ;  while  Elizabeth,  who  had  been  forcibly 
struck  with  the  sweetness  and  devotion  of  the 
youthful  suppliant,  removed  the  slight  embarrass 
ment  of  the  timid  stranger,  by  the  ease  and  finish 
of  her  own  manners.  They  were  at  once  acquaint 
ed,  and,  during  the  ten  minutes  that  the  "  acade 
my"  was  clearing,  engagements  were  made  be- 


168  THE    PIONEERS. 

tween  the  young  people,  not  only  for  their  pursuits 
during  the  succeeding  day,  after  the  service,  but 
they  would  probably  have  embraced  in  their  ar 
rangements  half  of  the  winter,  had  not  the  divine 
interrupted  them,  by  saying — 

"  Gently,  gently,  my  dear  Miss  Temple,  or  you 
will  make  my  girl  too  dissipated.  You  forget  that 
she  is  my  housekeeper,  and  that  my  domestic  af 
fairs  must  remain  unattended  to,  should  Louisa  ac 
cept  of  half  the  kind  offers  that  you  are  so  good  as 
to  make  her." 

"  And  \vhy  should  they  not  be  neglected  entire 
ly,  sir?"  interrupted  Elizabeth.  "  There  are  but 
two  of  you ;  and  certain  I  am  that  my  father's 
house  will  not  only  contain  you  both,  but  will  open 
its  doors  spontaneously,  to  receive  such  guests. 
Society  is  a  good,  not  to  be  rejected  on  account  of 
cold  forms,  in  this  wilderness,  sir ;  and  I  have  of 
ten  heard  my  father  say,  that  hospitality  is  not  a 
virtue  in  a  new  country,  the  favour  being  conferred 
on  the  host  by  the  guest." 

"  The  manner  in  which  Judge  Temple  exercises 
its  rites  would  confirm  this  opinion,"  said  the  di 
vine  ;  "  but  we  must  not  trespass  too  freely. 
Doubt  not  that  you  will  see  us  often,  my  child 
particularly,  during  the  frequent  visits  that  I  shall 
be  compelled  to  make  to  the  distant  parts  of  the 
country.  But  to  obtain  an  influence  with  such  a 
people,"  he  continued,  glancing  his  eyes  towards 
the  few,  who  were  still  lingering,  as  curious  ob 
servers  of  the  interview,  "  a  clergyman  must  not 
awaken  envy  or  distrust,  by  dwelling  under  so 
splendid  a  roof  as  that  of  Judge  Temple." 

u  You  like  the  roof,  then,  Mr.  Grant,"  cried  Ri 
chard,  who  had  been  directing  the  extinguishment 
of  the  fires,  and  other  little  necessary  duties,  and 
who  now  approached,  so  as  to  hear  the  close  of  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  169 

divine's  speech — "  I  am  glad  to  find  one  man  of 
taste  at  last.  Here's  'duke,  now,  pretends  to  call 
it  by  every  abusive  name  he  can  invent ;  but 
though  'duke  is  a  very  tolerable  Judge,  sir,  he  is  a 
very  poor  carpenter,  let  me  tell  him.  Well,  sir, 
well,  I  think  we  may  say,  without  boasting,  that 
the  service  was  as  well  performed  this  evening  as 
you  often  see  ;  I  think,  quite  as  well  as  I  ever 
knew  it  to  be  done  in  old  Trinity — that  is,  if  we 
except  the  organ.  But  there  is  the  schoolmaster 
leads  a  psalm  with  a  very  good  air.  I  used  to  lead 
myself,  but  latterly  I  have  sung  nothing  but  bass. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  science  to  be  shown  in  the 
bass,  and  it  affords  a  fine  opportunity  to  show  off  a 
full,  deep  voice.  Benjamin,  too,  sings  a  good  bass, 
though  he  is  often  out  in  the  words.  Did  you  ever 
hear  Benjamin  sing  the  c  Bay  of  Biscay,  O  ?'  " 

"  I  believe  he  gave  us  part  of  it  this  evening," 
said  Marmaduke,  laughing.  u  There  was,  now 
and  then,  a  fearful  quaver  in  his  voice,  and  it  seems 
that  Mr.  Penguillian  is  like  most  others  who  do  one 
thing  particularly  well :  he  knows  nothing  else.  He 
has,  certainly,  a  wonderful  partiality  to  one  tune, 
and  he  has  a  prodigious  self-confidence  in  that  one, 
for  he  delivers  himself  like  a  north-wester  sweep 
ing  across  the  lake.  But  come,  gentlemen,  our 
way  is  clear,  and  the  sleigh  waits. — Good  evening, 
Mr.  Grant.  Good  night,  young  lady — remember 
that  you  dine  beneath  the  Corinthian  roof  to-mor 
row,  with  Elizabeth." 

The  parties  separated,  Richard  holding  a  close 
dissertation  with  Mr.  Le  Quoi,  as  they  descended 
the  stairs,  on  the  subject  of  psalmody,  which  he 
closed  by  a  violent  eulogium  on  the  air  of  the 
"  Bay  of  Biscay,  O,"  as  particularly  connected  with 
his  friend  Benjamin's  execution. 

During  the  preceding  dialogue,  Mohegan   ha< 
15 


170  THE    PIONEERS. 

retained  his  seat,  with  his  head  shrouded  in  his 
blanket,  as  seemingly  inattentive  to  surrounding 
objects,  as  the  departing  congregation  was,  itself, 
to  the  presence  of  the  aged  chief.  Natty,  also, 
continued  on  the  log,  where  he  had  first  placed 
himself,  with  his  head  resting  on  one  of  his  hands, 
while  the  other  held  the  riile,  which  was  thrown 
carelessly  across  his  lap.  His  countenance  ex 
pressed  extraordinary  uneasiness,  and  the  occa 
sional  unquiet  glances,  that  he  had  thrown  around 
him  during  the  service,  plainly  indicated  some  un 
usual  causes  for  unhappiness.  His  continuing 
seated  was,  however,  from  respect  to  the  Indian 
chief,  to  whom  he  paid  the  utmost  deference,  on  all 
occasions,  although  it  was  mingled  w7ith  the  rough 
manner  of  a  hunter. 

The  young  companion  of  these  two  ancient  in 
habitants  of  the  forest  remained  also,  standing  be 
fore  the  extinguished  brands,  probably  from  an  un 
willingness  to  depart  without  his  comrades.  The 
room  was  now  deserted  by  all  but  this  group,  the 
divine,  and  his  daughter.  As  the  party  from  the 
Mansion-house  disappeared,  John  arose,  and  drop 
ping  the  blanket  from  his  head,  he  shook  back  the 
mass  of  black  hair  from  his  face,  and  approaching 
Mr.  Grant,  he  extended  his  hand,  and  said  so 
lemnly — 

"  Father,  I  thank  you.  The  words  that  have 
oeen  said,  since  the  rising  moon,  have  gone  up 
ward,  and  the  Great  Spirit  is  glad.  What  you  have 
told  your  children,  they  will  remember,  and  be 
good."  He  paused  a  moment,  and  then,  elevating 
himself  to  all  the  grandeur  of  an  Indian  chief,  he 
added — "  If  Chingaehgook  lives  to  travel  towards 
the  setting  sun,  after  his  tribe,  and  the  Great  Spirit 
carries  him  over  the  lakes  and  mountains,  with 
the  breath  in  his  body,  he  will  tell  his  people  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  171 

good  talk  he  has  heard ;  and  they  will  believe  him ; 
for  who  can  say  that  Mohegan  has  ever  lied  ?" 

"  Let  him  place  his  dependence  on  the  goodness 
of  Divine  mercy,"  said  Mr.  Grant,  to  whom  the 
proud  consciousness  of  the  Indian  sounded  a  little 
heterodox,  "  and  it  never  will  desert  him.  When 
the  heart  is  filled  with  love  to  God,  there  is  no 
room  left  for  sin. — But,  young  man,  to  you  I  owe 
not  only  an  obligation,  in  common  with  those  you 
saved  this  evening,  on 'the  mountain,  but  my  thanks, 
for  your  respectful  and  pious  manner,  in  assisting 
in  the  service,  at  a  most  embarrassing  moment.  I 
should  be  happy  to  see  you  sometimes,  at  my 
dwelling,  when,  perhaps,  my  conversation  may 
strengthen  you  in  the  path  which  you  appear  to 
have  chosen.  It  is  so  unusual  to  find  one  of  your 
age  and  appearance,  in  these  woods,  at  all  acquaint 
ed  with  our  holy  liturgy,  that  it  lessens  at  once  the 
distance  between  us,  and  I  feel  that  we  are  no 
longer  strangers.  You  seem  quite  at  home  in  the 
service  :  I  did  not  perceive  that  you  had  even  a 
book,  although  good  Mr.  Jones  had  laid  several  in 
different  parts  of  the  room." 

"  It  would  be  strange,  if  I  were  ignorant  of  the 
service  of  our  church,  sir,"  returned  the  youth, 
modestly,  "  for  I  was  baptized  in  its  communion, 
and  I  have  never  yet  attended  public  worship  else 
where.  For  me  to  use  the  forms  of  any  other  de 
nomination,  would  be  as  singular  as  our  own  have 
proved  to  the  people  here  this  evening." 

c  You  give  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  you,  my 
dear  sir,"  cried  the  divine,  seizing  the  other  by  the 
hand,  and  shaking  it  cordially. — "  You  will  go  home 
with  me  now — indeed  you  must — my  child  has  yet 
to  thank  you  for  saving  my  life.  I  will  listen  to 
no  apologies.  This  worthy  Indian,  and  your  friend 
there,  will  accompany  us.— Bless  me  !  to  think  that 


172  THE  PIONEERS. 

lie  has  arrived  at  manhood,  in  this  country,  with 
out  entering  a  dissenting  meeting-house  !" 

"  No,  no,"  interrupted  the  Leather-stocking, 
"  I  must  away  to  the  wigwam  :  there's  work  there, 
that  mus'n't  be  forgotten,  for  all  your  churchings 
and  merry-makings.  Let  the  lad  go  with  you  in 
welcome  ;  he  is  used  to  keeping  company  with 
ministers,  and  talking  of  such  matters ;  so  is  old 
John,  who  was  christianized  by  the  Moravians, 
about  the  time  of  the  old  war.  But  I  am  a  plain, 
unlarned  man,  that  has  sarved  the  king  and  his 
country,  in  his  day,  ag'in  the  French  and  savages, 
but  never  so  much  as  looked  into  a  book,  or  larnt 
a  letter  of  scholarship,  in  my  born  days.  I've  ne 
ver  seen  the  use  of  sitch  in-door  kind  of  work, 
though  I  have  lived  to  be  partly  bald,  and,  in  my 
time,  have  killed  two  hundred  beaver  in  a  season, 
and  that  without  counting  the  other  game. — If  you 
mistrust  what  I  am  telling  you,  you  can  ask  Chin- 
gachgook  there,  for  I  did  it  in  the  heart  of  the  De 
laware  country,  and  the  old  man  is  knowing  to  the 
truth  of  every  word  I  say." 

"  I  doubt  not,  my  friend,  that  you  have  been 
both  a  valiant  soldier  and  sldlful  hunter,  in  your 
day,"  said  the  divine  ;  "  but  more  is  wanting,  to 
prepare  you  for  that  end  which  approaches.  You 
may  have  heard  the  maxim,  that  c  young  men  may 
die,  but  that  old  men  mustS  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  never  was  so  great  a  fool  as  to  ex 
pect  to  live  for  ever,"  said  Natty,  giving  one  of  his 
silent  laughs  :  "  no  man  need  do  that,  who  trails 
the  savages  through  the  woods,  as  I  have  done,  and 
lives,  for  the  hot  months,  on  the  lake  streams.  I've 
a  strong  constitution,  I  must  say  that  for  myself,  as 
is  plain  to  be  seen  ;  for  I've  drunk  the  Onondaga 
water  a  hundred  times,  while  I've  been  watching 
the  deer-licks,  when  the  fever-an-agy  seeds  was  to 


THE   PIONEERS.  173 

DC  seen  in  it,  as  plain  and  as  plenty  as  you  can  see 
the  rattle-snakes  on  old  Crumhorn.  But  then,  I 
never  expected  to  hold  out  for  ever  ;  though  there's 
them  living,  who  have  seen  the  Garman  Flats  a 
wilderness";  ay !  and  them  that's  larned,  and  ac 
quainted  with  religion  too ;  though  you  might  look 
a  week  now,  and  not  find  even  the  stump  of  a  pine 
on  them ;  and  that's  a  wood  that  lasts  in  the  ground 
the  better  part  of  a  hundred  years." 

"  This  is  but  time,  my  good  friend,"  returned 
Mr.  Grant,  who  began  to  take  an  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  his  new  acquaintance,  "  but  it  is  for 
eternity  that  I  would  have  you  prepare.  It  is  in 
cumbent  on  you  to  attend  places  of  public  worship, 
as  I  am  pleased  to  see  that  you  have  done  this 
evening.  Would  it  not  be  heedless  in  you  to  start 
on  a  day's  toil  of  hard  hunting,  and  leave  your 
ramrod  and  flint  behind  you  ?" 

"  It  must  be  a  young  hand  in  the  woods,"  in 
terrupted  Natty,  with  another  laugh,  "  that  didn't 
know  how  to  dress  a  rod  out  of  an  ash  sapling,  or 
find  a  fire-stone  in  the  mountains.  No,  no,  I  never 
expected  to  live  for  ever ;  but  I  see,  times  be  al 
tering  in  these  mountains  from  what  they  was 
thirty  years  ago,  or,  for  that  matter,  ten  years.  But 
might  makes  right,  and  the  law  is  stronger  than  an 
old  man,  whether  he  is  one  .that  has  much  laming, 
or  only  one  like  me,  that  is  better  now  at  standing 
at  the  passes  than  in  following  the  hounds,  as  I 
once  used  to  could.  Heigh-ho  !  I  never  know'd 
preaching  come  into  a  settlement,  but  it  made  game 
scearce,  and  raised  the  price  of  gun-powder ;  and 
that's  a  thing  that's  not  as  easily  made  as  a  ram 
rod,  or  an  Indian  flint." 

The  divine,  perceiving  that  he  had  given  his  op 
ponent  an  argument,  by  his  own  unfortunate  se 
lection  of  a  comparison,  very  prudently  relinquished 
15* 


174  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  controversy,  for  the  present ;  although  he  was 
fully  determined  to  resume  it  at  a  more  happy  mo 
ment.  Repeating  his  request  to  the  young  hunter, 
with  great  earnestness,  the  youth  and  Indian  con 
sented  to  accompany  him  and  his  daughter  to  the 
dwelling,  that  the  care  of  Mr.  Jones  had  provided 
for  their  temporary  residence.  Leather-stocking 
persevered  in  his  intention  of  returning  to  the  hut. 
and  at  the  door  of  the  building  they  separated. 

After  following  the  course  of  one  of  the  streets 
of  the  village  for  a  short  distance,  Mr.  Grant,  who 
led  the  way,  turned  into  a  field,  through  a  pair  of 
open  bars,  and  entered  a  foot-path,  of  but  sufficient 
width  to  admit  of  only  one  person  to  walk  in  it,  at 
a  time.  The  moon  had  gained  a  height  that  ena 
bled  her  to  throw  her  rays  nearly  perpendicularly 
on  the  valley ;  and  the  distinct  shadows  of  the 
party  flitted  along  on  the  banks  of  the  silver  snow, 
like  the  presence  of  aerial  figures,  gliding  to  their 
appointed  place  of  meeting.  The  night  still  con 
tinued  intensely  cold,  although  not  a  breath  of  wind 
was  to  be  felt.  The  path  was  beaten  so  hard,  that 
the  gentle  female,  who  made  one  of  the  party, 
moved  with  ease  along  its  windings ;  though  the 
frost  emitted  a  low  creaking,  at  the  impression  of 
even  her  light  footsteps. 

The  clergyman  in  his  dark  dress  of  broad-cloth, 
with  his  mild,  benevolent  countenance  occasionally 
turned  towards  his  companions,  expressing  that 
look  of  subdued  care,  that  was  its  characteristic? 
presented  the  first  object  of  this  singularly  consti 
tuted  group.  Next  to  him  moved  the  Indian,  with 
his  hair  falling  about  his  face,  his  head  uncovered, 
and  the  rest  of  his  form  concealed  beneath  his 
blanket.  As  his  swarthy  visage,  with  its  muscles 
fixed  in  rigid  composure,  was  seen  under  the  light 
of  the  moon  which  struck  his  face  obliquely,  he 


THE    PIONEERS.  175 

seemed  a  picture  of  resigned  old  age,  on  whom  the 
storms  of  winter  had  beaten  in  vain,  for  the  greater 
part  of  a  century  ;  but  when  in  turning  his  head, 
the  rays  fell  directly  on  his  dark,  fiery  eyes,  they 
told  a  tale  of  passions  unrestrained,  and  of  thoughts 
free  as  the  air  he  breathed.  The  slight  person  of 
Miss  Grant,  which  followed  next,  and  which  wras 
but  too  thinly  clad  for  the  severity  of  the  season, 
formed  a  marked  contrast  to  the  wild  attire,  and 
uneasy  glances  of  the  Delaware  chief;  and  more 
than  once,  during  their  walk,  the  young  hunter, 
himself  no  insignificant  figure  in  the  group,  was  led 
to  consider  the  difference  in  the  human  form,  as 
the  face  of  Mohegan,  and  the  gentle  countenance 
of  Miss  Grant,  with  eyes  that  rivalled  the  soft  hue 
of  the  sky  in  colour,  met  his  view,  at  the  instant 
that  each  turned,  to  throw  a  glance  at  the  splendid 
orb,  that  lighted  their  path.  Their  way,  which 
led  through  fields,  that  lay  at  some  distance  in  the 
rear  of  the  houses,  was  cheered  by  a  conversation, 
that  flagged  or  became  animated  with  the  subject. 
The  first  to  speak  was  the  divine. 

"  Really,"  he  said,  "  it  is  so  singular  a  circum 
stance  to  meet  with  one  of  your  age,  that  has  not 
been  induced  by  an  idle  curiosity  to  visit  any  other 
church  than  the  one  in  which  he  has  been  educat 
ed,  that  I  feel  a  strong  curiosity  to  know  the  his 
tory  of  a  life  so  fortunately  regulated. — Your  edu 
cation  must  have  been  an  excellent  one ;  as  indeed 
is  evident  from  your  manners  and  language.  Of 
which  of  the  states  are  you  a  native,  Mr.  Edwards  ? 
for  such,  I  believe,  was  the  name  that  you  gave  to 
Judge  Temple." 

"  Of  this"— • 

"  Of  this !  I  was  at  a  loss  to  conjecture,  from 
your  dialect,  which  does  not  partake,  particularly, 
of  the  peculiarities  of  any  country  with  which  I 


176  THE    PIONEERS. 

am  acquainted.  You  have,  then,  resided  much  in 
the  cities,  for  no  other  part  of  this  country  is  so  for 
tunate  as  to  possess  the  constant  enjoyment  of  our 
excellent  liturgy." 

The  young  hunter  smiled,  as  he  listened  to  the 
divine  while  he  so  clearly  betrayed  from  what  part 
of  the  country  he  had  come  himself ;  but  for  rea 
sons,  probably,  connected  with  his  present  situa 
tion,  he  made  no  answer. 

"lam  delighted  to  meet  with  you,  my  young 
friend,  for  I  think  an  ingenuous  mind,  such  as  I 
doubt  not  yours  must  be,  will  exhibit  all  the  ad 
vantages  of  a  settled  doctrine  and  devout  liturgy. 
You  perceive  how  I  was  compelled  to  bend  to  the 
humours  of  my  hearers  this  evening.  Good  Mr. 
Jones  wished  me  to  read  the  communion,  and,  in 
fact,  all  the  morning  service ;  but,  happily,  the  ca 
nons  do  not  require  this  in  an  evening.  It  would 
have  wearied  a  new  congregation ;  but  to-morrow 
I  purpose  administering  the  sacrament.  Do  you 
-commune,  my  young  friend  ?" 

"  I  believe  not,  sir,"  returned  the  youth,  with  a 
little  embarrassment,  that  was  not  at  all  diminish 
ed  by  Miss  Grant's  pausing  involuntarily,  and  turn 
ing  her  eyes  on  him  in  evident  surprise — "  I  fear 
that  I  am  not  qualified ;  I  have  never  yet  approach 
ed  the  altar  ;  neither  would  I  wish  to  do  it,  while 
I  find  so  much  of  the  world  clinging  to  my  heart, 
as  I  now  experience." 

"  Each  must  judge  for  himself,"  said  Mr.  Grant ; 
"  though  I  should  think  that  a  youth  who  had  ne 
ver  been  blown  about  by  the  wind  of  false  doc 
trines,  and  who  has  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  our 
liturgy  for  so  many  years  in  its  purity,  might  safely 
come.  Yet,  sir,  it  is  a  solemn  festival,  which  none 
should  celebrate,  until  there  is  reason  to  hope  it  is 
not  mockery.  I  observed  this  evening,  in  your 


THE    PIONEERS.  177 

manner  to  Judge  Temple,  a  resentment  that  bor 
dered  on  one  of  the  worst  of  human  passions. — We 
will  cross  this  brook  on  the  ice :  it  must  bear  us 
all,  I  think,  in  safety. — Be  careful  not  to  slip,  my 
child."  While  speaking,  he  descended  a  little  bank 
by  the  path,  and  crossed  one  of  the  small  streams 
that  poured  their  waters  into  the  lake ;  and  turn 
ing  to  see  his  daughter  pass,  observed  that  the 
youth  had  advanced,  and  was  kindly  directing  her 
footsteps.  When  all  were  safely  over,  he  moved 
up  the  opposite  bank,  and  continued  his  discourse. 
— "  It  was  wrong,  my  dear  sir ,  very  wrong,  to  suf 
fer  such  feelings  to  rise,  under  any  circumstances, 
and  especially  in  the  present,  where  the  evil  was 
not  intended." 

"  There  is  good  in  the  talk  of  my  father,"  said 
Mohegan,  stopping  short,  and  causing  those  who 
were  behind  him  to  pause  also ;  "  it  is  the  talk  of 
Miquon.  The  white  man  may  do  as  his  fathers 
have  told  him;  but  the  '  Young  Eagle'  has  the 
blood  of  a  Delaware  chief  in  his  veins  :  it  is  red, 
and  the  stain  it  makes  can  only  be  washed  out  with 
the  blood  of  a  Mingo."* 

Mr.  Grant  was  surprised  by  the  interruption  of 
the  Indian,  and,  stopping,  faced  the  speaker.  His 
mild  features  were  confronted  to  the  fierce  and  de 
termined  looks  of  the  chief,  and  expressed  all  the 
horror  that  he  felt  at  hearing  such  sentiments  from 
one  who  professed  the  religion  of  his  Saviour. 
Raising  his  hands  to  a  level  with  his  head,  he  ex 
claimed — 

"  John,  John  !  is  this  the  religion  that  you  have 
learned  from  the  Moravians  ?  But  no — I  will  not 
be  so  uncharitable  as  to  suppose  it.  They  are  a 
pious,  a  gentle*  and  a  mild  people,  and  could  nevei 

*  His  cnemyt 


178  THE    PIONEERS. 

tolerate  these  passions.  Listen  to  the  language  of 
the  Redeemer — c  But  I  say  unto  you,  love  your 
enemies ;  bless  them  that  curse  you ;  do  good  to 
them  that  hate  you ;  and  pray  for  them  that  de- 
spitefully  use  you  and  persecute  you.' — This  is  the 
command  of  God,  John,  and  without  striving  to 
cultivate  such  feelings,  no  man  can  see  him." 

The  Indian  heard  the  exclamation  of  the  divine 
with  attention  ;  the  unusual  fire  of  his  eye  gradual 
ly  softened,  and  his  muscles  relaxed  into  their  or 
dinary  composure  ;  but,  slightly  shaking  his  head, 
he  motioned  with  dignity  for  Mr.  Grant  to  resume 
his  walk,  and  followed  himself  again  in  silence. 
The  agitation  of  the  divine  caused  him  to  move 
with  unusual  rapidity  along  the  deep  path,  and  the 
Indian,  without  any  apparent  exertion,  kept  an 
equal  pace  ;  but  the  young  hunter  observed  the 
female  to  linger  in  her  steps,  until  a  trifling  dis 
tance  intervened  between  the  two  former  and  the 
latter.  Struck  by  the  circumstance,  and  not  perceiv 
ing  any  new  impediment  to  retard  her  footsteps, 
the  youth  made  a  tender  of  his  assistance,  by  say 
ing— 

"You  are  fatigued,  Miss  Grant ;  the  snow  yields 
to  the  foot,  and  you  are  unequal  to  the  strides  of 
us  men.  Step  on  the  crust,  I  entreat  you,  and  take 
the  help  of  my  arm.  Yonder  light  is,  I  believe, 
the  house  of  your  father  ;  but  it  seems  yet  at  some 
distance." 

"  I  am  quite  equal  to  the  walk,"  returned  a  low, 
tremulous  voice  ;  "  but  I  am  startled  by  the  man 
ner  of  that  Indian  chief.  Oh !  his  eye  was  horrid, 
as  he  turned  to  the  moon,  in  speaking  to  my  father. 
But  I  forget,  sir ;  he  is  your  friend,  and  by  his 
language  may  be  your  relative  ;  and  yet  of  you  I 
do  not  feel  afraid." 

The  young  man  stepped  on  the  bank  of  snow 


THE    PIONEERS,  179 

which  firmly  sustained  his  weight,  and  by  a  gentle 
effort  induced  his  companion  to  follow  him.  Draw 
ing  her  arm  through  his  own,  he  lifted  his  cap  from 
his  head  allowing  his  dark  locks  to  flow  in  rich 
curls  over  his  open  brow,  and  walked  by  her  side, 
with  an  air  of  conscious  pride,  as  if  inviting  an  ex 
amination  of  his  inmost  thoughts. — Louisa  took 
but  a  furtive  glance  at  his  person,  and  moved  qui 
etly  along,  at  a  rate  that  was  greatly  quickened 
by  the  aid  of  his  arm. 

"  You  are  but  little  acquainted  with  this  pecu 
liar  people,  Miss  Grant,"  he  said,  "  or  you  woul  j 
know  that  revenge  is  a  virtue  with  an  Indian. 
They  are  taught,  from  infancy  upward,  to  believe 
it  a  duty,  never  to  allow  an  injury  to  pass  unio- 
sisted ;  and  nothing,  but  the  stronger  claims  of 
hospitality,  can  guard  one  against  their  resent 
ments,  where  they  have  power  to  act  their  will." 

"  Surely,  sir,"  said  Miss  Grant,  involuntarily 
withdrawing  her  arm  from  his,  "  you  have  not  been 
educated  with  such  unholy  sentiments." 

"  It  might  be  a  sufficient  answer  to  your  excel 
lent  father,  to  say,  that  I  was  educated  in  the 
church,"  he  returned ;  "  but  to  you  I  will  add, 
that  I  have  been  taught  deep  and  practical  lessons 
of  forgiveness.  I  believe  that,  on  this  subject,  I 
have  but  little  cause  to  reproach  myself;  but  it 
shall  be  my  endeavour  that  there  yet  be  less." 

While  speaking,  he  stopped,  and  stood  with  his 
arm  again  proffered  to  her  assistance.  As  he  end 
ed,  she  quietly  accepted  his  offer,  and  they  resum 
ed  their  walk. 

Mr.  Grant  and  Mohegan  had  reached  the  door 
of  the  former's  residence,  and  stood  waiting  near 
its  threshold  for  the  arrival  of  their  younger  com 
panions.  The  former  was  earnestly  occupied,  in 


180  THE    PIONEERS. 

endeavouring  to  correct,  by  his  precepts,  the  evil 
propensities  that  he  had  discovered  in  the  Indian, 
during  their  conversation  ;  which  the  latter  heard 
in  profound,  but  respectful  attention.  On  the  ar 
rival  of  the  young  hunter  and  the  lady,  they  en 
tered  the  building. 

The  house  stood  at  some  distance  from  the  vil 
lage,  in  the  centre  of  a  field,  surrounded  by  stumps, 
that  were  peering  above  the  snow,  bearing  caps 
of  pure  white  nearly  two  feet  in  thickness.  Not 
a  tree  or  a  shrub  was  nigh  it ;  but  the  house,  ex 
ternally,  exhibited  that  cheerless,  unfinished  as 
pect,  which  is  so  common  to  the  hastily-erected 
dwellings  of  a  new  country.  The  uninviting  cha 
racter  of  its  outside  was,  however,  happily  con 
trasted  by  the  exquisite  neatness,  and  comfortable 
warmth,  within. 

They  entered  an  apartment  that  was  fitted  as  a 
parlour,  though  the  large  fire-place,  with  its  culi 
nary  arrangements,  betrayed  the  domestic  uses  to 
which  it  was  occasionally  applied.  The  bright 
blaze  from  the  hearth  rendered  the  light,  that  pro 
ceeded  from  the  candle  that  Louisa  produced,  un 
necessary;  for  the  scanty  furniture  of  the  room 
was  easily  seen  and  examined  by  the  former.  The 
floor  was  covered,  in  the  centre,  by  a  carpet  made 
of  rags,  a  species  of  manufacture  that  was,  then, 
and  yet  continues  to  be,  much  in  use,  in  the  inte 
rior  ;  while  its  edges,  that  were  exposed  to  view, 
were  of  unspotted  cleanliness.  There  was  a  tri 
fling  air  of  better  life,  in  a  tea-table  and  work  stand, 
as  well  as  in  an  old-fashioned  mahogany  book-case ; 
but  the  chairs,  the  dining-table,  and  the  rest  of 
the  furniture,  were  of  the  plainest  and  cheapest 
construction.  Against  the  walls  were  hung  a  few 
specimens  of  needlework  and  drawing,  the  former 


THE    PIONEERS.  181 

executed  with  great  neatness,  though  of  somewhat 
equivocal  merit  in  their  designs,  while  the  latter 
were  strikingly  deficient  in  both. 

One  of  the  former  represented  a  tomb,  with  a 
youthful  female  weeping  over  it,  exhibiting  a 
church  with  arched  windows,  in  the  back-ground. 
On  the  tomb  were  the  names,  with  the  dates  of 
the  births  and  deaths,  of  several  individuals,  all  of 
whom  bore  the  name  of  Grant.  An  extremely 
cursory  glance  at  this  record,  was  sufficient  to  dis 
cover  to  the  young  hunter  the  domestic  state  of 
the  divine.  He  there  read,  that  he  was  a  widower, 
and  that  the  innocent  and  timid  maiden,  who  had 
been  his  companion,  was  the  only  surviver  of  six 
children.  The  knowledge  of  the  dependence, 
which  each  of  these  meek  Christians  had  on  the 
other,  for  happiness,  threw  an  additional  charm 
around  the  gentle,  but  kind  attentions,  which  the 
daughter  paid  to  the  father. 

These  observations  occurred  while  the  party 
were  seating  themselves  before  the  cheerful  fire, 
during  which  time  there  was  a  suspension  of  their 
discourse.  But  when  each  was  comfortably  ar 
ranged,  and  Louisa,  after  laying  aside  a  thin  coat 
of  faded  silk,  and  a  gipsy  hat,  that  was  more  be 
coming  to  her  modest,  ingenuous  countenance  than 
appropriate  to  the  season,  had  taken  a  chair  be 
tween  her  father  and  the  youth,  the  former  re 
sumed  the  conversation. 

"  I  trust,  my  young  friend,"  he  said,  "  that  the 
education  which  you  have  received  has  eradicated 
most  of  those  revengeful  principles,  which  you  may 
have  inherited  by  descent ;  for  I  understand  from 
the  expressions  of  John,  that  you  have  some  of 
the  blood  of  the  Delaware  tribe.  Do  not  mistake 
me,  I  beg,  for  it  is  not  colour,  nor  lineage,  that 
constitutes  merit ;  and  I  know  not  that  he  who 
16 


182  THE   PIONEERS 

claims  affinity  to  the  proper  owners  of  this  soil,  has 
not  the  best  right  to  tread  these  hills  with  the 
lightest  conscience." 

Mohegan  turned  solemnly  to  the  speaker,  and, 
with  the  peculiarly  significant  gestures  of  an  In 
dian,  he  spoke  : — 

"  Father,  you  are  not  yet  past  the  summer  of 
life  ;  your  limbs  are  young.  Goto  the  highest  hill 
and  look  around  you.  All  that  you  see,  from  the 
rising  to  the  setting  sun,  from  the  head  waters  of 
the  great  spring,  to  where  the  i  crooked  river'  is 
hid  by  the  hills,  is  his.  He  has  Delaware  blood 
and  his  right  is  strong.  But  the  brother  of  Mi- 
quon  is  just :  he  will  cut  the  country  in  two  parts, 
as  the  river  cuts  the  low-lands,  and  will  say  to  the 
'  Young  Eagle,'  Child  of  the  Delawares  !  take  it- 
Keep  it-  —and  be  a  chief  in  the  land  of  your  fathers." 

"  Never  !"  exclaimed  the  young  hunter,  with  a 
vehemence  that  destroyed  the  rapt  attention,  with 
which  the  divine  and  his  daughter  were  listening 
to  the  earnest  manner  of  the  Indian.  "  The  wolf 
of  the  forest  is  not  more  rapacious  for  his  prey,  than 
that  man  is  greedy  for  gold ;  and  yet  his  glidings 
into  wealth  are  as  subtle  as  the  movements  of  a 
serpent." 

"  Forbear,  forbear,  my  son,  forbear,"  interrupt 
ed  Mr.  Grant.  "  These  angry  passions  must  be 
subdued.  The  accidental  injury  you  have  received 
from  Judge  Temple  has  heightened  the  sense  of 
your  hereditary  wrongs.  But  remember  that  the 
one  was  unintentional,  and  that  the  other  is  the  ef 
fect  of  political  changes,  which  have,  in  their  course, 
greatly  lowered  the  pride  of  kings,  and  swept 
mighty  nations  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Where 
now  are  the  Philistines,  who  so  often  held  the 
children  of  Israel  in  bondage  !  or  that  city  of  Ba 
bylon,  which  rioted  in  luxury  and  vice,  and  who 


THE    PIONEERS.  183 

styled  herself  the  Queen  of  Nations,  in  the  drunk 
enness  of  her  pride  ?  Remember  the  prayer  of 
our  holy  litany,  where  we  implore  the  Divine 
Power — "  that  it  may  please  thee  to  forgive  our 
enemies,  persecutors,  and  slanderers,  and  to  turn 
their  hearts."  The  sin  of  the  wrongs  which  have 
been  done  to  the  natives  is  shared  by  Judge  Tem 
ple  only  in  common  with  a  whole  people,  and 
your  arm  will  speedily  be  restored  to  its  strength." 

"  This  arm  !"  repeated  the  youth,  scorniully, 
pacing  the  floor  in  violent  agitation.  "  Think  you, 
sir,  that  I  believe  the  man  a  murderer  ? — Oh,  no  ! 
he  is  too  wily,  too  cowardly,  for  such  a  crime. 
But  let  him  and  his  daughter  riot  in  their  wealth — 
there  will  a  day  of  retribution  come.  No,  no,  no," 
he  continued,  as  he  trod  the  floor  moie  calmly — 
"  it  is  for  Mohegan  to  suspect  him  of  such  a  crime, 
as  an  intent  to  injure  me :  but  the  trifle  is  not 
worth  a  second  thought." 

He  seated  himself,  and  hid  his  face  between  his 
hands,  as  they  rested  on  his  knees. 

tc  It  is  the  hereditary  violence  of  a  native's  pas 
sion,  my  child,"  said  Mr.  Grant,  in  a  low  tone,  to 
his  affrighted  daughter,  who  was  clinging  in  terror 
to  his  arm.  "  He  is  mixed  with  the  blood  of  the 
Indians,  you  have  heard  ;  and  neither  the  refine 
ments  of  education,  nor  the  advantages  of  our  ex 
cellent  liturgy,  have  been  able  entirely  to  eradi- 
cite  the  evil.  But  care  and  time  will  do  much  for 
him  yet." 

Although  the  divine  spoke  in  a  low  tone,  yet 
what  he  uttered  was  heard  by  the  youth,  who 
raised  his  head,  with  a  smile  of  indefinite  expres 
sion,  and  spoke  more  calmly. 

"  Be  not  alarmed,  Miss  Grant,  at  eithei  the 
wildness  of  my  manner,  or  that  of  my  dress.  I 
have  been  carried  away  by  passions,  that  I  should 


184  THE    PIONEERS. 

struggle  to  repress.  I  must  attribute  it,  with  your 
father,  to  the  blood  in  my  veins,  although  I  would 
not  impeach  my  lineage  willingly  ;  for  it  is  all  that 
is  left  me  to  boast  of.  Yes !  I  am  proud  of  my 
descent  from  a  Delaware  chief,  who  was  a  warrior 
that  ennobled  human  nature.  Old  Mohegan  was 
his  friend,  and  will  vouch  for  his  virtues." 

Mr.  Grant  here  took  up  the  discourse,  and,  find 
ing  the  young  man  more  calm,  and  the  aged  chief 
attentive,  he  entered  into  a  full  and  theological  dis 
cussion  of  the  duty  of  forgiveness.  The  conversa 
tion  lasted  for  more  than  an  hour,  when  the  visit- 
ers  arose,  and,  after  exchanging  good  wishes  with 
their  entertainers,  they  departed.  At  the  dooi 
they  separated,  Mohegan  taking  the  direct  route 
to  the  village,  while  the  youth  moved  towards  the 
lake.  The  divine  stood  at  the  entrance  of  his 
dwelling,  regarding  the  figure  of  the  aged  chief  as 
it  glided  at  an  astonishing  gait,  for  his  years,  along 
the  deep  path  ;  his  black,  straight  hair  just  visible 
over  the  bundle  formed  by  his  blanket,  which  was 
sometimes  blended  with  the  snow,  under  the  sil 
very  light  of  the  moon.  From  the  rear  of  the 
house  was  a  window,  that  overlooked  the  lake  ; 
and  here  Louisa  was  found  by  her  father,  when  he 
entered,  gazing  intently  on  some  object  in  the 
direction  of  the  eastern  mountain.  He  approached 
the  spot,  and  saw  the  tall  figure  of  the  young  hunt 
er,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  walking  with  pro 
digious  steps  across  the  wide  fields  of  frozen  snow 
that  covered  the  ice,  towards  the  point  where  he 
knew  the  hut  that  was  inhabited  by  the  Leather- 
stocking  was  situated  on  the  margin  of  the  lake, 
under  a  rock,  that  was  crowned  by  pines  and  hem 
locks.  At  the  next  instant,  the  wildly-looking 
form  entered  the  dark  shadow,  that  was  cast  fron 
the  overhanging  trees,  and  was  lost  to  view. 


THE    PIONEERS.  185 

"  It  is  marvellous,  how  long  the  propensities  of 
the  savage  continue  in  that  remarkable  race,"  said 
the  good  divine ;  "  but  if  he  perseveres,  as  he  has 
commenced,  his  triumph  shall  yet  be  complete. 
Remember  me,  my  child,  to  lend  him  the  homily 
'  against  peril  of  idolatry,'  at  his  next  visit." 

"  Surely,  father,"  cried  the  maiden,  "  you  do 
not  think  him  in  danger  of  relapsing  into  the  wor 
ship  of  his  ancestors!" 

"No,  my  child,"  returned  the  clergy  man  paying 
his  hand  affectionately  on  her  flaxen  locks,  and 
smiling ;  "  his  white  blood  would  prevent  it ;  but 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  idolatry  of  our  pas 
sions." 

16* 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


And  I'll  drink  out  of  the  quart  pot, — 
Here's  a  health  to  the  barley  mow. 

Drinking  Song 


ON  one  of  the  corners,  where  the  two  principal 
streets  of  Templeton  intersected  each  other,  stood, 
as  we  have  already  mentioned,  the  inn,  that  was 
called  the  "  Bold  Dragoon."  In  the  original  plan, 
it  was  ordained  that  the  village  should  stretch  along 
the  little  stream,  that  rushed  down  the  valley,  and 
the  street  which  led  from  the  lake  to  the  academy, 
was  intended  to  be  its  western  boundary.  But 
convenience  frequently  frustrates  the  best  regu 
lated  plans.  The  house  of  Mr.,  or  as,  in  conse 
quence  of  commanding  the  militia  of  that  vicinity, 
he  was  called,  Captain  Hollister,  had,  at  an  early 
day,  been  erected  directly  facing  the  main  street, 
and  ostensibly  interposed  a  barrier  to  its  further 
progress.  Horsemen,  and  subsequently  teamsters, 
however,  availed  themselves  of  an  opening,  at  the 
end  of  the  building,  to  shorten  their  passage  west 
ward,  until,  in  time,  the  regular  highway  was  laid 
out  along  this  course,  and  houses  were  gradually 
built  on  either  side,  so  as  effectually  to  prevent 
any  subsequent  correction  of  the  evil. 

There  were  two  material  consequences,  which 
followed  this  insidious  change  in  the  regular  plans 


THE    PIONEERS.  187 

of  Marmaduke.  The  one,  that  the  main-street,  af 
ter  running  about  half  its  length,  was  suddenly  re 
duced  to  precisely  that  difference  m  its  width ;  and 
the  other,  that  the  "  Bold  Dragoon"  became,  next 
to  the  Mansion-house,  by  far  the  most  conspicuous 
edifice  in  the  place. 

This  conspicuousness,  aided  by  the  characters  of 
the  host  and  hostess,  gave  the  tavern  an  advantage 
over  all  its  future  competitors,  that  no  circum 
stances  could  conquer.  An  effort  was,  however, 
made  to  do  so ;  and  at  the  corner  diagonally  oppo 
site,  stood  a  new  building,  that  was  intended  by  its 
occupants  to  look  down  all  opposition.  It  was  a 
house  of  wood,  ornamented  in  the  prevailing  style 
of  architecture,  and,  about  the  roof  and  balustrades, 
was  one  of  the  three  imitators  of  the  Mansion- 
house.  The  upper  windows  were  filled  with 
rough  boards,  secured  by  nails,  to  keep  out  the 
cold  air ;  for  the  edifice  was  far  from  finished,  al 
though  glass  was  to  be  seen  in  the  lower  apart 
ments,  and  the  light  of  the  powerful  fires  within 
denoted  that  it  was  already  inhabited.  The  ex 
terior  was  painted  white,  on  the  front  and  on  the 
end  which  was  exposed  to  the  street ;  but  in  the 
rear,  and  on  the  side  which  was  intended  to  join 
the  neighbouring  house,  it  was  coarsely  smeared 
with  Spanish  brown.  Before  the  door  stood  two 
lofty  posts,  connected  at  the  top  by  a  beam,  from 
which  was  suspended  an  enormous  sign,  ornament 
ed  around  its  edges  with  certain  curious  carvings 
in  pine  boards,  and  on  its  faces  loaded  with  ma 
sonic  emblems.  Over  these  mysterious  figures, 
was  written,  in  large  letters,  "  The  Templeton 
Coffee-House  and  Traveller's  Hotel,"  and  be 
neath  them,  "  By  Habakkuk  Foote  and  Joshua 
Knapp."  This  was  a  fearful  rival  to  the  "  Bold 
Dragoon,"  as  our  readers  will  the  more  readily  per 


188  THE    PIONEERS. 

oeive,  when  we  add,  that  the  same  sonorous  names 
were  to  be  seen  over  the  door  of  a  newly  erected 
store  in  the  village,  a  hatter's  shop,  and  the  gates 
of  a  tan-yard.  But,  either  because  too  much  was 
attempted  to  be  well  executed,  or  that  the  "  Bold 
Dragoon"  had  established  a  reputation  which  could 
not  be  easily  shaken,  not  only  Judge  Temple  and 
his  friends,  but  most  of  the  villagers  also,  who 
were  not  in  debt  to  the  powerful  firm  we  have 
named,  frequented  the  inn  of  Captain  Hollister, 
on  all  occasions  where  such  a  house  was  necessary. 

On  the  present  evening,  the  limping  veteran, 
and  his  consort,  were  hardly  housed,  after  theii 
return  from  the  academy,  when  the  sounds  of 
stamping  feet  at  their  threshold  announced  the  ap 
proach  of  visiters,  who  were  probably  assembling 
with  a  view  to  compare  opinions  on  the  subject 
of  the  ceremonies  they  had  witnessed. 

The  public,  or,  as  it  was  called,  the  "  bar-room," 
of  the  "  Bold  Dragoon,"  was  a  spacious  apartment, 
lined  on  three  sides  with  benches,  and  on  the  fourth 
by  fire-places.  Of  the  latter,  there  were  two,  of 
such  size  as  to  occupy,  with  their  enormous  jambs, 
the  whole  of  that  side  of  the  apartment  where  they 
were  placed,  excepting  room  enough  for  a  door  or 
two,  and  a  little  apartment  in  one  corner,  which 
was  protected  by  miniature  palisadoes,  and  pro 
fusely  garnished  with  bottles  and  glasses.  In  the 
entrance  to  this  sanctuary,  Mrs.  Hollister  was 
seated  with  great  gravity  in  her  air,  while  her 
husband  occupied  himself  with  stirring  the  fires  ; 
moving  the  logs  with  a  large  stake,  burnt  to  a  point 
at  one  end. 

"  There,  Sargeant  dear,"  said  the  landlady,  after 
she  thought  the  veteran  had  got  the  logs  arranged 
in  the  most  judicious  manner,  "  give  over  poking 
the  fires,  for  it's  no  good  yee'll  be  doing,  now  that 


THE    PIONEERS.  189 

they  burn  so  convaniently.  There's  the  glasses 
on  the  table  there,  and  the  mug  that  the  Doctor 
was  taking  his  cider  and  ginger  in,  before  the  fire 
here, — jist  put  them  in  the  bar,  will  ye  ?  for  we'll 
be  having  the  Jooge,  and  the  Major,  and  Mr.  Jones, 
down  the  night,  widout  reckoning  Benjamin  Poomp, 
and  the  Lawyers  :  so  ye'll  be  fixing  the  room  tidy; 
and  put  both  flip-irons  in  the  coals ;  and  tell  Jude, 
the  lazy,  black  baste,  that  if  she's  no  be  claneing 
up  the  kitchen,  I'll  jist  turn  her  out  of  the  house, 
and  she  may  live  wid  the  jontlemen  that  kape  the 
*  Coffee-house,'  good  luck  to  'em.  Och  !  Sar 
geant,  sure  it's  a  great  privilege  to  go  to  a  mateing, 
where  a  body  can  sit  asy,  widout  joomping  up  and 
down  so  often,  as  this  Mr.  Grant  is  doing  the  same." 
"  It's  a  privilege  at  all  times,  Mistress  Hollister, 
whether  we  stand  or  be  seated  ;  or,  as  good  Mr. 
Whitefield  used  to  do,  after  he  had  made  a  weari 
some  day's  march,  get  on  our  knees  and  pray,  like 
Moses  of  old,  with  a  flanker  to  the  right  and  left, 
to  lift  his  hands  to  heaven,"  returned  her  husband, 
who  composedly  performed  what  she  had  directed 
to  be  done.  "  It  was  a  very  pretty  fight,  Betty, 
that  the  Israelites  had,  on  that  day,  with  the  Ama- 
lekites.  It  seems  that  they  fout  on  a  plain,  for 
Moses  is  mentioned,  as  having  gone  on  to  th3 
heights,  to  overlook  the  battle,  and  wrestle  in 
prayer ;  and  if  I  should  judge,  with  my  little  lam 
ing,  the  Israelites  depended  mainly  on  their  horse, 
for  it  is  written,  that  Joshua  cut  up  the  enemy  with 
the  edge  of  the  sword:  from  which  I  infer,  not 
only  that  they  were  horse,  but  well  disciplynM 
troops.  Indeed,  it  says  as  much  as  that  they 
were  chosen  men ;  quite  likely  volunteers ;  but 
raw  dragoons  seldom  strike  with  the  edge  of  their 
swords,  particularly  if  the  weapon  be  any  way 
crooked." 


190  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Pshaw !  why  do  ye  bother  yourself  wid  taxts^ 
man,  about  so  small  a  matter,"  interrupted  the 
landlady;  "sure  it  was  the  Lord  who  was  wid 
'em ;  for  he  always  sided  wid  the  Jews,  at  first, 
before  they  fell  away ;  and  it's  but  little  matter 
what  kind  of  men  Joshua  commanded,  so  that  he 
was  doing  the  right  bidding.  Aven  them  cursed 
millaishy,  the  Lord  forgi'e  me  for  swearing,  that 
was  the  death  of  him,  wid  their  cowardice,  would 
have  carried  the  day  in  old  times.  There's  no 
rason  to  be  thinking  that  the  soldiers  was  used  to 
the  drill." 

'"I  must  say,  Mrs.  Hollister,"  rejoined  her  hus 
band,  "  that  I  have  not  often  seen  raw  troops  fight 
better  than  the  left  flank  of  the  militia,  at  the  time 
you  mention.  They  rallied  very  handsomely,  and 
that  without  beat  of  drum,  which  is  no  easy  thing 
to  do  under  fire,  and  were  very  steady  till  he  fell. 
But  the  Scriptures  contain  no  unnecessary  words; 
and  I  will  maintain,  that  horse,  who  know  how  to 
strike  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  must  be  well 
disciplyn'd.  Many  a  good  sarmon  has  been  preach 
ed  about  smaller  matters  than  that  one  word  !  If 
the  text  was  not  meant  to  be  particular,  why 
wasn't  it  written,  with  the  sword,  and  not  with 
the  edge?  Now,  a  back-handed  stroke,  on  the 
edge,  takes  long  practice.  Goodness  !  what  an  ar 
gument  would  Mr.  Whkefield  make  of  that  word 
edge  !  As  to  the  Captain,  if  he  had  only  called 
up  the  guard  of  dragoons,  when  he  rallied  the  foot, 
they  would  have  shown  the  inimy  what  the  edge 
of  a  sword  was  ;  for,  although  there  was  no  com 
missioned  officer  with  them,  yet  I  think  I  may  say," 
— the  veteran  continued,  stiffening  his  cravat  about 
ihe  throat,  and  raising  himself  up,  with  the  air  of 
a  drill-sergeant, — "  they  were  led  by  a  man,  who 
M  how  to  bring  them  on,  in  spite  of  the  ra- 


THE    PIONEERS.  191 

"  Is  it  lade  on  ye  would  ?"  cried  the  landlady, 
"  when  ye  know  yourself,  Mr.  Hollister,  that  the 
baste  he  rode  was  but  little  able  to  joomp  from  one 
rock  to  another,  and  the  animal  was  as  spry  as  a 
squirrel  ?  Och  !  but  it's  useless  to  talk,  for  he's 
gone  this  many  a  long  year.  I  would  that  he  had 
lived  to  see  the  true  light ;  but  there's  mercy  for  a 
brave  sowl,  that  died  in  the  saddle,  fighting  for  the 
liberty.  It's  a  poor  tomb-stone  they  have  given 
him,  any  way,  and  many  a  good  one  that  died  like 
himself :  but  the  sign  is  very  like,  and  I  will  be 
kapeing  it  up,  while  the  blacksmith  can  make  a 
hook  for  it  to  swing  on,  for  all  the  '  coffee-houses' 
betwane  this  and  Albany." 

There  is  no  saying  where  this  desultory  conver 
sation  would  have  led  the  worthy  couple,  had  not 
the  men,  who  were  stamping  the  snow  off  their  feet, 
on  the  little  platform  before  the  door,  suddenly 
ceased  their  occupation,  and  entered  the  bar-room. 

For  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  the  different  individu 
als,  who  intended  either  to  bestow  or  receive  edi 
fication,  before  the  fires  of  the  "  Bold  Dragoon," 
on  that  evening,  were  collecting,  until  the  benches 
were  nearly  filled  with  men  of  different  occupa 
tions.  Dr.  Todd,  and  a  slovenly -looking,  half-gen 
teel  young  man,  who  took  tobacco  profusely,  wore 
a  coat  of  imported  cloth,  cut  with  something  like  a 
fashionable  air,  frequently  exhibited  a  large  French 
silver  watch,  with  a  chain  of  woven  hair,  and  who, 
altogether,  seemed  as  much  above  the  artisans 
around  him,  as  he  was  inferior  to  the  real  gentle 
man, — occupied  a  high-back,  wooden  settee,  in  the 
most  comfortable  corner  in  the  apartment. 

Sundry  brown  mugs,  containing  cider  or  beer; 
were  placed  between  the  heavy  andirons,  and  little 
groups  were  formed  among  the  guests,  as  subjects 
nrose,  or  the  liquor  was  passed  from  one  to  the 


192  THE    PIONEERS. 

other.  No  man  was  seen  to  drink  by  himself,  nor 
in  any  instance  was  more  than  one  vessel  consider 
ed  necessary  for  the  same  beverage  ;  but  the  glass, 
or  the  mug,  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  until  a 
chasm  in  the  line,  or  a  regard  to  the  rights  of  own 
ership  would  restore  the  dregs  of  the  potation  to 
him  who  defrayed  the  cost. 

Toasts  were  uniformly  drunk  ;  and  occasionally, 
some  one,  who  conceived  himself  peculiarly  endow 
ed  by  nature  to  shine  in  the  way  of  wit,  would  at 
tempt  some  such  sentiment  as  "  hoping  that  he" 
who  treated,  "  might  make  a  better  man  than  his 
father  ;"  or,  "  live  till  all  his  friends  wished  him 
dead  ;"  while  the  more  humble  pot-companion  con 
tented  himself  by  saying,  with  a  most  imposing 
gravity  in  his  air,  u  come,  here's  luck,"  or  by  ex 
pressing  some  other  equally  comprehensive  desire. 
In  every  instance,  the  veteran  landlord  was  re 
quested  to  imitate  the  custom  of  the  cup-bearers  to 
kings,  and  taste  the  liquor  he  presented,  by  the 
significant  invitation  of  "  after  you  is  manners  ;" 
with  which  request  he  ordinarily  complied,  by  wet 
ting  his  lips,  first  expressing  the  wish  of  "  here's 
hoping,"  leaving  it  to  the  imagination  of  the  hear 
ers  to  fill  the  vacuum  by  whatever  good  each  thought 
most  desirable.  During  these  movements,  the  land 
lady  was  busily  occupied  with  mixing  the  various 
compounds,  required  by  her  customers,  with  her 
own  hands,  and  occasionally  exchanging  greetings 
and  inquiries  concerning  the  conditions  of  their  re 
spective  families,  with  such  of  the  villagers  as  ap 
proached  "  the  bar." 

At  length  the  common  thirst  being  in  some  mea 
sure  assuaged,  conversation  of  a  more  general  na 
ture  became  the  order  of  the  hour.  The  physician, 
and  his  companion,  who  was  one  of  the  two  law 
yers  of  the  village,  being  considered  the  best  quati- 


THE    PIONEERS.  193 

fed  to  maintain  a  public  discourse  with  credit,  were 
the  principal  speakers,  though  a  remark  was  ha 
zarded,  now  and  then,  by  Mr.  Doolittle,  who  was 
thought  to  be  their  inferior  only  in  the  enviable 
point  of  education.  A  general  silence  was  pro 
duced  on  all  but  the  two  speakers,  by  the  follow 
ing  observation  from  the  practitioner  of  the  law : — 

"  So,  Dr.  Todd,  I  understand  that  you  have  been 
performing  an  important  operation,  this  evening,  by 
cutting  a  charge  of  buck-shot  from  the  shoulder  of 
the  son  of  Leather-stocking  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  returned  the  other,  elevating  his  lit 
tle  head,  with  an  air  of  great  importance.  "  I  had 
a  small  job  up  at  the  Judge's  in  that  way  :  it  was, 
however,  but  a  trifle  to  what  it  might  have  been, 
had  it  gone  through  the  body.  The  shoulder  is 
not  a  very  vital  part ;  and  I  think  the  young 
man  will  soon  be  well.  But  I  did  not  know  that 
the  patient  was  a  son  of  Leather-stocking :  it  is 
news  to  me,  to  hear  that  Natty  had  a  wife." 

"  It  is  by  no  means  a  necessary  consequence," 
returned  the  other,  winking  with  a  shrewd  look 
around  the  bar-room ;  "  there  is  such  a  thing,  I 
suppose  you  know,  in  law,  as  a  '  films  nullius.'  " 

"  Spake  it  out,  man,"  exclaimed  the  landlady  ; 

spake  it  out  in  king's  English  ;  what  for  should 
ye  be  talking  Indian,  in  a  room  full  of  Christian 
folks,  though  it  is  about  a  poor  hunter,  who  is  but 
a  little  better  in  his  ways  than  the  wild  savages 
themselves  ?  Och  !  it's  to  be  hoped  that  the  mis 
sionaries  will,  in  his  own  time,  make  a  convarsion 
of  the  poor  divils  ;  and  then  it  will  matter  but  lit 
tle,  of  what  colour  is  the  skin,  or  wedder  there  be 
wool  or  hair  on  the  head." 

"  Oh  !  it  is  Latin,  not  Indian,  Miss  Hollister," 
returned  the  lawyer,  repeating  his  winks  and  shrewd 
looks  ;  "  and  Dr.  Todd  understands  Latin,  or  how 
17 


194  THE    PIONEERS. 

would  he  read  the  labels  on  his  gallipots  and  draw 
ers  ? — No,  no,  Miss  Hollister,  the  Doctor  under 
stands  me  ;  don't  you,  Doctor  ?" 

"  Hem — why  I  guess  I  am  not  far  out  of  the 
way,"  returned  Elnathan,  endeavouring  to  imitate 
the  expression  of  the  other's  countenance,  by  look 
ing  jocular ;  "  Latin  is  a  queer  language,  gentle 
men  ; — now  I  rather  guess  there  is  no  one  in  the 
room  except  Squire  Lippet,  who  can  believe  that 
'  Far.  Av.'  means  oatmeal,  in  English." 

The  lawyer  in  his  turn  was  a  good  deal  embar 
rassed  by  this  display  of  learning ;  for,  although  he 
actually  had  taken  his  first  degree  at  one  of  the 
eastern  universities,  he  was  somewhat  puzzled 
with  the  terms  used  by  his  companion.  It  was 
dangerous,  however,  to  appear  to  be  out-done  in 
learning  in  a  public  bar-room,  and  before  so  many 
of  his  clients ;  he  therefore  put  the  best  face  on 
the  matter,  and  laughed  knowingly,  as  if  there 
were  a  good  joke  concealed  under  it,  that  was  un 
derstood  only  by  the  physician  and  himself.  All 
this  was  attentively  observed  by  the  listeners,  who 
exchanged  looks  of  approbation  ;  and  the  expres 
sions  of  "  tonguey  man,"  and  "  I  guess  Squire  Lip- 
pet  knows,  if  any  body  doos,"  were  heard  in  dif 
ferent  parts  of  the  room,  as  vouchers  for  the  admi 
ration  of  his  auditors.  Thus  encouraged,  the  law 
yer  rose  from  his  chair,  and  turning  his  back  to 
the  fire,  facing  the  company,  he  continued — 

"  The  son  of  Natty,  or  the  son  of  nobody,  I 
hope  the  young  man  is  not  going  to  let  the  matter 
drop.  This  is  a  country  of  laws;  and  I  should 
like  to  see  it  fairly  tried,  whether  a  man  who  owns, 
or  says  he  owns,  a  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land, 
has  any  more  right  to  shoot  a  body,  than  another. 
What  do  you  think  of  it,  Dr.  Todd  ?" 

"  Oh !  sir,  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  gentleman 


THE   PIONEERS.  195 

will  soon  be  well,  as  I  said  before  ;  the  wownd  isn't 
in  a  vital  part ;  and  as  the  ball  was  extracted  so 
soon,  and  the  shoulder  was  what  I  call  well  attend 
ed  to,  I  do  not  think  there  is  as  much  danger  as 
there  might  have  been." 

"  I  say,  Squire  Doolittle,"  continued  the  angry 
attorney,  "  you  are  a  magistrate,  and  know*  what  is 
law,  and  what  is  not  law.  I  ask  you,  sir,  if  shoot 
ing  a  man  is  a  thing  that  is  to  be  settled  so  very 
easily  ?  Suppose,  sir,  that  the  young  man  had  a 
wife  and  family ;  and  suppose  that  he  was  a  me 
chanic,  like  yourself,  sir  ;  and  suppose  that  his  fa 
mily  depended  on  him  for  bread ;  and  suppose  that 
the  ball,  instead  of  merely  going  through  the  flesh, 
had  broken  the  shoulder-blade,  and  crippled  him 
for  ever; — I  ask  you  all,  gentlemen,  supposing  this 
to  be  the  case,  whether  a  jury  wouldn't  give  what 
I  call  handsome  damages  ?" 

As  the  close  of  this  supposititious  case  wras  ad 
dressed  to  the  company,  generally,  Hiram  did  not, 
at  first,  consider  himself  called  on  for  a  reply ;  but 
finding  the  eyes  of  the  listeners  bent  on  him  in  ex 
pectation,  he  remembered  his  character  for  judicial 
discrimination,  and  spoke,  observing  a  due  degree 
of  deliberation  and  dignity  in  his  manner. 

"  Why,  if  a  man  should  shoot  another,"  he  said, 
"  and  if  he  should  do  it  on  purpose,  and  if  the  law 
took  notice  on't,  and  if  a  jury  should  find  him 
guilty,  it  would  be  likely  to  turn  out  a  state-prison 
matter." 

"  It  would  so,  sir,"  returned  the  attorney. — 
*c  The  law,  gentlemen,  is  no  respecter  of  persons, 
in  a  free  country.  It  is  one  of  the  great  blessings 
that  has  been  handed  down  to  us  from  our  ances 
tors,  that  all  men  are  equal  in  the  eye  of  the  law- 
as  they  are  by  nater.  Though  some  may  get  pro 
perty,  no  one  knows  how,  yet  they  are  not  privi- 


196  THE    PIONEERS. 

leged  to  transgress  the  laws,  any  more  than  the 
poorest  citizen  in  the  state.  This  is  my  notion, 
gentlemen ;  and  I  think  that  if  a  man  had  a  mind 
to  bring  this  matter  up,  something  might  be  made 
out  of  it,  that  would  help  pay  for  the  salve — ha  ' 
Doctor?" 

"  Why  sir,"  returned  the  physician,  who  appear 
ed  a  little  uneasy  at  the  turn  the  conversation  was 
taking,  "  I  have  the  promise  of  Judge  Temple,  be 
fore  men — not  but  what  I  would  take  his  word  as 
soon  as  his  note  of  hand — but  it  was  before  men. 
Let  me  see — there  was  Mounshier  Ler  Quow,  and 
Squire  Jones,  and  Major  Hartmann,  and  Miss  Pet- 
tibone,  and  one  or  two  of  the  blacks  by,  when  he 
said  that  his  pocket  would  amply  reward  me  for 
what  I  did." 

"  Was  the  promise  made  before  or  after  the  ser 
vice  was  performed  ?"  asked  the  attorney. 

"  It  might  have  been  both,"  returned  the  dis 
creet  physician  ;  "  though  I'm  certain  he  said  so, 
before  I  undertook  the  dressing." 

"  But  it  seems  that  he  said  his  pocket  should  re 
ward  you,  Doctor,"  observed  Hiram.  "  Now  I 
don't  know  that  the  law  will  hold  a  man  to  such  a 
promise ;  he  might  give  you  his  pocket  with  six 
pence  in't,  and  tell  you  to  take  your  payout  on't." 

"  That  wrould  not  be  a  reward  in  the  eye  of  the 
law,"  interrupted  the  attorney — "  not  what  is  call 
ed  a  '  quid  pro  quo  ;'  nor  is  the  pocket  to  be  con 
sidered  as  an  agent,  but  as  part  of  a  man's  own 
person,  that  is,  in  this  particular.  I  am  of  opinion 
that  an  action  would  lie  on  that  promise,  and  I  will 
undertake  to  bear  him  out,  free  of  costs,  if  he  don't 
recover." 

To  this  proposition  the  physician  made  no  reply ; 
but  he  was  observed  to  cast  his  eyes  around  him, 
as  if  to  enumerate  the  witnesses,  in  order  to  sub- 


THE    PIONEERS.  197 

stantiate  this  promise  also,  at  a  future  day,  should 
it  prove  necessary.  A  subject  so  momentous,  as 
that  of  suing  Judge  Temple,  was  not  very  palatable 
to  the  present  company,  in  so  public  a  place  ;  and 
a  short  silence  ensued,  that  was  only  interrupted 
by  the  opening  of  the  door,  and  the  entrance  of 
Natty  himself. 

The  old  hunter  carried  in  his  hand  his  never- 
failing  companion,  his  rifle ;  and  although  all  of  the 
company  were  uncovered,  excepting  the  lawyer, 
who  wore  his  hat  on  one  side,  with  a  certain  know 
ing  air,  Natty  moved  to  the  front  of  one  of  the 
fires,  without  in  the  least  altering  any  part  of  his 
dress  or  appearance.  Several  questions  were  ad 
dressed  to  him,  on  the  subject  of  the  game  he  had 
killed,  which  he  answered  readily,  and  with  some 
little  interest ;  and  the  landlord,  between  whom 
and  Natty  there  existed  much  cordiality,  on  ac 
count  of  their  both  having  been  soldiers  in  their 
youth,  offered  him  a  glass  of  a  liquid,  which,  if  we 
might  judge  from  its  reception,  was  no  unwelcome 
guest.  When  the  forester  had  gotten  his  potation 
also,  he  quietly  took  his  seat  on  the  end  of  one  of 
the  logs,  that  lay  nigh  to  the  fires,  and  the  slight 
interruption,  produced  by  his  entrance,  seemed  to 
be  forgotten. 

"  The  testimony  of  the  blacks  could  not  be 
taken,  sir,"  continued  the  lawyer,  "  for  they  are 
all  the  property  of  Mr.  Jones,  who  owns  their 
time.  But  there  is  a  way  by  which  Judge  Tem 
ple,  or  any  other  man,  might  be  made  to  pay  foi 
shooting  another,  and  for  the  cure  in  the  bargain. 
-—There  is  a  way,  I  say,  and  that  without  going 
into  the  {  court  of  errors'  too." 

"  And  a  mighty  big  error  ye  would  make  of  it, 
Mister  Todd,"  cried  the  landlady,  "  should  ye  be 
putting  the  matter  into  the  law  at  all,  with  Joodge 
17* 


198  THE    PIONEERS. 

Temple,  who  has  a  purse  as  long  as  one  of  them 
pines  on  the  hill,  and  who  is  an  asy  man  to  dale 
wid,  if  yees  but  mind  the  humour  of  him.  He's  a 
good  man  is  Joodge  Temple,  and  a  kind  one,  and 
one  who  will  be  no  the  likelier  to  do  the  pratty 
thing,  bekaase  ye  would  wish  to  tarrify  him  wid 
the  law.  I  know  of  but  one  objaction  to  the  same, 
which  is  an  over-carelessness  about  his  sowl.  It's 
nather  a  Methodic,  nor  a  Papish,norPrasbetyrian, 
that  he  is,  but  jist  nothing  at  all :  and  it's  hard  to 
think  that  he,  c  who  will  not  fight  the  good  fight, 
under  the  banners  of  a  rig'lar  church,  in  this  world, 
will  be  mustered  among  the  chosen  in  heaven,'  as 
my  husband,  the  Captain  there,  as  ye  call  him, 
says — though  there  is  but  one  captain  that  I  know, 
who  desaarves  the  name.  I  hopes,  Lather-stock 
ing,  ye'll  no  be  foolish,  and  putting  the  boy  up  to 
try  the  law  in  the  matter ;  for  'twill  be  an  evil  day 
to  ye  both,  when  ye  first  turn  the  skin  of  so  pace- 
able  an  animal  as  a  sheep  into  a  bone  of  conten 
tion.  The  lad  is  wilcome  to  his  drink  for  nothing, 
until  his  shouther  will  bear  the  rifle  ag'in." 

"  Well,  that's  gin'rous,"  was  heard  from  several 
mouths  at  once,  at  this  liberal  offer  of  the  landlady ; 
while  the  hunter,  instead  of  expressing  any  of  that 
indignation  which  he  might  be  supposed  to  feel,  at 
hearing  the  hurt  of  his  young  companion  alluded 
to,  opened  his  mouth,  with  the  silent  laugh  for 
which  he  was  so  remarkable  ;  and  after  he  had  in 
dulged  his  humour,  made  this  reply — 

"  I  know'd  the  Judge  would  do  nothing  with  his 
smooth-bore,  when  he  got  out  of  his  sleigh.  I  ne 
ver  see'd  but  one  smooth-bore,  that  would  carry 
at  all,  and  that  was  a  French  ducking-piece,  upon 
the  big  lakes  :  it  had  a  barrel  half  as  long  ag'iii  as 
my  rifle,  and  would  throw  fine  shot  into  a  goose, 
at  a  hundred  yards ;  but  it  made  dreadful  work 


THE    PIONEERS.  199 

fvith  the  game,  and  you  wanted  a  boat  to  carry  it 
about  in.  When  I  went  with  Sir  William  ag'in  the 
French,  at  Fort  Niagara,  all  the  rangers  used  the 
rifle  ;  and  a  dreadful  weapon  it  is,  in  the  hands  of 
one  who  knows  how  to  charge  it,  and  keeps  a 
steady  aim.  The  Captain  knows,  for  he  says  he 
was  a  soldier  in  Shirley's,  and  though  they  were 
nothing  but  baggonet-men,  he  must  know  how  we 
cut  up  the  French  and  Iroquois  in  the  skrimmages, 
in  that  war.  Chingachgook,  which  means  c  Big 
Sarpent'  in  English,  old  John  Mohegan,  who  lives 
up  at  the  hut  with  me,  was  a  great  warrior  then, 
and  wras  out  with  us  ;  he  can  tell  all  about  it,  too  ; 
though  he  was  an  overhand  for  the  tomahawk,  ne 
ver  firing  more  than  once  or  twice,  before  he  was 
running  in  for  the  scalps.  Ah  !  hum  !  times  is 
dreadfully  altered  since  then.  Why,  Doctor,  there 
was  nothing  but  a  foot  path,  or  at  the  most  a  track 
for  pack-horses,  along  the  Mohawk,  from  the  Gar- 
man  Flats  clean  up  to  the  forts.  Now,  they  say, 
they  talk  of  running  one  of  them  wide  roads  with 
gates  on't  along  the  river;  first  making  a  road, and 
then  fencing  it  up  !  I  hunted  one  season  back  of 
the  Kaatskills,  nigh-hand  to  the  settlements,  and 
the  dogs  often  lost  the  scent,  when  they  com'd  to 
them  highways,  there  was  so  much  travel  on  them  ; 
though  I  can't  sav  that  the  brutes  was  of  a  very 
good  breed.  Old  Hector  will  wind  a  deer  in  the 
fall  of  the  year,  across  the  broadest  place  in  the 
Otsego,  and  that  is  a  mile  and  a  half,  for  I  paced  it 
myself  on  the  ice,  when  the  tract  was  first  surveyed 
under  the  Indian  grant." 

"  It  sanies  to  me,  Natty,  but  a  sorry  compli 
ment,  to  call  your  comrad  after  the  evil  one,"  said 
the  landlady  ;  "  and  it's  no  much  like  a  snake  that 
old  John  is  looking  now.  Nimrood  would  be  a  more 
besaming  name  for  the  lad,  and  a  more  Christian  too, 


200  THE    PIONEERS. 

seeing  that  it  comes  from  the  Bible.  The  sargeant 
read  me  the  chapter  about  him,  the  night  before 
my  christening,  and  a  mighty  asement  it  was,  to 
listen  to  any  thing  from  the  book." 

"  Old  John  and  Chingachgook  were  very  differ 
ent  men  to  look  on,"  returned  the  hunter,  shaking 
his  head  at  his  melancholy  recollections. — "  In  the 
'  fifty-eighth  war,'  he  was  in  the  middle  of  man 
hood,  and  was  taller  than  now  by  three  inches.  If 
you  had  seen  him,  as  I  did,  the  morning  we  beat 
Dieskau,  from  behind  our  log  walls,  you  would 
have  called  him  as  comely  a  red-skin  as  ye  ever 
set  eyes  on.  He  was  naked,  all  to  his  breech- 
cloth  and  leggens  ;  and  you  never  seed  a  creater 
so  handsomely  painted.  One  side  of  his  face  was 
red,  and  the  other  black.  His  head  was  shaved 
clean,  all  to  a  few  hairs  on  the  crown,  where  he 
wore  a  tuft  of  eagle's  feathers,  as  bright  as  if  they 
had  come  from  a  peacock's  tail.  He  had  coloured 
his  sides.,  so  that  they  looked  just  like  an  atomy, 
ribs  and  all ;  for  Chingachgook  had  a  great  notion 
in  such  things  :  so  that,  what  with  his  bold,  fiery 
countenance,  his  knife,  and  his  tomahawk,  I  have 
never  seed  a  fiercer  warrior  on  the  ground.  He 
played  his  part,  too,  like  a  man ;  for  I  seen  him 
next  day,  with  thirteen  scalps  on  his  pole.  And  1 
will  say  that  for  the  '  Big  Snake,'  that  he  always 
dealt  fair,  and  never  scalped  any  that  he  didn't 
kill  with  his  own  hands." 

"  Well,  well,"  cried  the  landlady  ;  "  fighting  is 
fighting,  any  way,  and  there  is  different  fashions  in 
the  thing  ;  though  I  can't  say  that  I  relish  mangling 
a  body  after  the  breath  is  out  of  it ;  neither  do  I 
think  it  can  be  uphild  by  doctrine.  I  hope,  sar 
geant,  ye  niver  was  helping  in  sich  evil  worrek." 

"  It  was  my  duty  to  keep  my  ranks,  and  to  stand 
or  fall  by  the  baggonet  or  lead,"  returned  the  vete- 


THE    PIONEERS.  201 

ran.  "  I  was  then  in  the  fort,  and,  seldom  leaving 
my  place,  saw  but  little  of  the  savages,  who  kep1 
on  the  flanks,  or  in  front,  skrimmaging.  I  remem 
ber,  howsomever,  to  have  heard  mention  made  of 
the  '  Great  Snake  j>  as  he  was  called,  for  he  was  a 
chief  of  renown  ;  but  little  did  I  ever  expect  to  see 
him  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  Christianity,  and  civi 
lized  like  old  John." 

"  Oh  !  he  was  christianized  by  the  Moravians, 
who  was  always  over  intimate  with  the  Dela- 
wares,"  said  Leather-stocking.  "  It's  my  opinion, 
that,  had  they  been  left  to  themselves,  there  would 
be  no  such  doings  now,  about  the  head  waters  of 
the  two  rivers,  and  that  these  hills  mought  have 
been  kept  as  good  hunting-ground,  by  their  right 
owner,  who  is  not  too  old  to  carry  a  rifle,  and 
whose  sight  is  as  true  as  a  fish-hawk,  hovering" — 

He  was  interrupted  by  more  stamping  at  the 
door,  and  presently  the  party  from  the  Mansion- 
house  entered,  followed  by  the  Indian  himself. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


There's  quart  pot,  pint  pot,  half-pint, 
Gill  pot,  half-gill,  nipperkin, 

And  the  brown  bowl — 
Here's  a  health  to  the  barley  mow, 

My  brave  boys, 
Here's  a  health  to  the  barley  mow. 

Drinking  Song. 


SOME  little  commotion  was  produced  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  new  guests,  during  which  the  law 
yer  disappeared  from  the  room.  Most  of  the  men 
approached  Marmaduke,  and  shook  his  offered 
hand,  hoping  "  that  the  Judge  was  well ;"  while 
Major  Hartmann,  having,  laid  aside  his  hat  and  wig, 
and  substituted  for  the  latter  a  warm,  peaked,  wool 
len  night-cap,  took  his  seat  very  quietly  on  one  end 
of  the  settee,  which  was  relinquished  by  its  former 
occupants.  His  tobacco-box  was  next  produced, 
and  a  clean  pipe  was  handed  him  by  the  landlord. 
When  he  had  succeeded  in  raising  a  smoke,  the 
Major  gave  a  long  whiff,  and,  turning  his  head  to 
wards  the  bar,  he  said — 

"  Petty,  pring  in  ter  toddy." 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Judge  had  exchanged  his 
salutations  wTith  most  of  the  company,  and  taken  a 
place  by  the  side  of  the  Major,  and  Richard  had 
bustled  himself  into  the  most  comlbrtable  seat  in 


THE    PIONEERS.  203 

the  room.  Mr.  Le  Quoi  was  the  last  seated,  nor 
did  he  venture  to  place  his  chair  finally,  until,  by 
frequent  removals,  he  had  ascertained  that  he  could 
not  possibly  intercept  a  ray  of  heat  from  any  indi 
vidual  present.  Mohegan  found  a  place  on  an  end 
of  one  of  the  benches,  and  somewhat  approximated 
to  the  bar.  When  these  movements  had  subsided, 
the  Judge  remarked,  pleasantly — 

"  Well,  Betty,  I  find  you  retain  your  popularity, 
through  all  weathers,  against  all  rivals,  and  among 
all  religions. — How  liked  you  the  sermon  ?" 

"  Is  it  the  sarmon  ?"  exclaimed  the  landlady. 
•c  I  can't  say  but  it  was  rasonable ;  but  the  prayers 
is  mighty  unasy.  It's  no  so  small  a  matter  for  a 
body,  in  their  fifty-nint'  year,  to  be  moving  so 
much  in  church.  Mr.  Grant  sames  a  godly  man, 
any  way,  and  his  garrel  is  a  hoomble  one,  and  a 
devout, — Here,  John,  is  a  mug  of  cider  lac'd  with 
whisky.  An  Indian  will  drink  cider,  though  he 
niver  be  athirst." 

"  I  must  say,"  observed  Hiram,  with  due  deli 
beration,  "  that  it  was  a  tonguey  thing ;  and  I  ra 
ther  guess  that  it  gave  considerable  satisfaction. 
There  was  one  part,  though,  which  might  have 
been  left  out,  or  something  else  put  in ;  but  then, 
f  s'pose  that,  as  it  was  a  written  discourse,  it  is  not 
BO  easily  altered,  as  where  a  minister  preaches 
without  notes." 

"  Ay  !  there's  the  rub,  Joodge,"  cried  the  land 
lady.    "  How  can  a  man  stand  up  and  be  praching 
his  word,  when  all  that  he  is  saying  is  written 
down,  and  he  is  as  much  tied  to  it  as  iver  a  thaving 
dragoon  was  to  the  pickets  ?" 

"Well,  well,"  cried  Marmaduke,  waving  his 
hand  for  silence,  "  there  is  enough  said ;  as  Mr. 
Grant  told  us,  there  are  different  sentiments  on 
such  subjects,  and  in  my  opinion  he  spoke  most 


204  THE    PIONEERS. 

sensibly. — So,  Jotham,  I  am  told  you  have  sold 
your  betterments  to  a  new  settler,  and  have  moved 
into  the  village  and  opened  a  school.  Was  it  cash 
or  dicker  ?" 

The  man  who  was  thus  addressed  occupied  a 
seat  immediately  behind  Marmaduke ;  and  one, 
who  was  ignorant  of  the  extent  of  the  Judge's  ob 
servation,  might  have  thought  he  would  have  es 
caped  notice. — He  was  of  a  thin,  shapeless  figure, 
with  a  discontented  expression  of  countenance,  and 
with  something  extremely  shiftless  in  his  whole 
air.  Thus  spoken  to,  after  turning  and  twisting  a 
little,  by  way  of  preparation,  he  made  a  reply. 

"  Why,  part  cash,  and  part  dicker.  I  sold  out 
to  a  Pumfret-man,  who  was  so'thin  forehanded. 
He  was  to  give  me  ten  dollars  an  acre  for  the 
clearin,  and  one  dollar  an  acre  over  the  first  cost, 
on  the  wood-land ;  and  we  agreed  to  leave  the 
buildins  to  men.  So  I  tuck  Asa  Mountagu,  and  he 
tuck  Absalom  Bement,  and  they  two  tuck  old 
Squire  Naphtali  Green.  And  so  they  had  a 
meetin,  and  made  out  a  vardict  of  eighty  dollars 
for  the  buildins.  There  was  twelve  acres  of  clear- 
in,  at  ten  dollars,  and  eighty-eight  at  one,  and  the 
whull  came  to  jist  two  hundred  and  eighty-six  dol 
lars  and  a  half,  after  paying  the  men." 

"  Hum,"  said  Marmaduke :  "  what  did  you  give 
for  the  place  ?" 

"  Why,  besides  what's  comin  to  the  Judge,  I 
gi'n  my  brother  Tim  a  hundred  dollars  for  his  bar 
gain  ;  but  then  there's  a  new  house  on't,  that  cost 
me  sixty  more,  and  I  paid  Moses  a  hundred  dollars, 
for  choppin,  and  loggin,  and  sowin  ;  so  that  the 
whull  stood  me  in  about  two  hundred  and  sixty 
dollars.  But  then  I  had  a  great  crop  off  on't,  and 
as  I  got  jist  twenty-six  dollars  and  a  half  more  than 
it  cost,  I  conclude  T  made  a  pretty  good  trade  on't.' 7 


THE    PIONEERS.  205 

"  Yes,  but  you  forgot  that  the  crop  was  yours 
without  the  trade,  and  you  have  turned  yourself 
out  of  doors  for  twenty-six  dollars." 

"  Oh !  the  Judge  is  clean  out,"  said  the  man, 
with  a  look  of  sagacious  calculation  ;  "  he  turned 
out  a  span  of  horses,  that  is  wuth  a  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  of  any  man's  money,  with  a  bran  new 
wagon  ;  fifty  doUars  in  cash  ;  and  a  good  note  for 
eighty  mofe ;  and  a  side  saddle  that  was  valood  at 
seven  and  a  half — so  there  was  jist  twelve  shillings 
betwixt  us.  I  wanted  him  to  turn  out  a  set  of  har 
ness,  and  take  the  cow  and  the  sap-troughs.  He 
wouldn't — but  I  saw  through  it ;  he  thought  I 
should  have  to  buy  the  tacklin  afore  I  could  use 
the  wagon  and  horses  ;  but  I  know'd  a  thing  or  two 
myself;  I  should  like  to  know  of  what  use  is  the 
tacklin  to  him  !  I  offered  him  to  trade  back  ag'in, 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty-five.  But  my  woman 
said  she  wanted  a  churn,  so  I  tuck  a  churn  for  the 
change." 

"  And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  with  your  time 
this  winter  ?  you  must  remember  that  time  is  mo 
ney." 

"  Why,  as  the  master  is  gone  down  country,  to 
see  his  mother,  who,  they  say,  is  going  to  make  a 
die  on't,  I  agreed  to  take  the  school  in  hand,  till 
he  comes  back.  If  times  doosn't  get  wuss  in  the 
spring,  I've  some  notion  of  going  into  trade,  or 
maybe  I  may  move  off  to  the  Genessee  ;  they  say 
they  are  carryin  on  a  great  stroke  of  business  that- 
a-way.  If  the  wust  comes  to  the  wust,  I  can  but 
work  at  my  trade,  for  I  was  brought  up  in  a  shoe 
manufactory." 

It  would  seem,  that  Marmaduke  did  not  think 

his  society  of  sufficient  value,  to  attempt  inducing 

him  to  remain  where  he  was ;  for  he  addressed  no 

further  discourse  to  the  man,  but  turned  his  alien- 

18 


206  THE    PIONEERS. 

lion  to  other  subjects. — After  a  short  pause,  Hiram 
ventured  a  question  : — 

"  What  news  does  the  Judge  bring  us  from  the 
legislater  ?  it's  not  likely  that  congress  has  done 
much  this  session ;  or  maybe  the  French  haven't 
fit  any  more  battles  lately  ?" 

"  The  French,  since  they  have  beheaded  their 
king,  have  done  nothing  but  fight,"  returned  the 
judge. — "  The  character  of  the  nation  seems 
changed.  I  knew  many  French  gentlemen,  during 
our  war,  and  they  all  appeared  to  me  to  be  men 
of  great  humanity  and  goodness  of  heart ;  but 
these  Jacobins  are  as  blood-thirsty  as  bull-dogs." 

"  There  was  one  Roshambow  wid  us,  down  at 
Yorrek-town,"  cried  the  landlady ;  "  a  mighty 
pratty  man  he  was,  too ;  and  their  horse  was  the 
very  same.  It  was  there  that  the  Sargeant  got 
the  hurt  in  the  leg,  from  the  English  batteries,  bad 
luck  to  'em." 

"  Ah  !  mon  pauvre  Roi !"  murmured  Monsieur 
Le  Quoi. 

"  The  legislature  have  been  passing  laws,"  con 
tinued  Marmaduke,  "  that  the  country  much  re 
quired.  Among  others,  there  is  an  act,  prohibit 
ing  the  drawing  of  seines,  at  any  other  than  pro 
per  seasons,  in  certain  of  our  streams  and  small 
lakes  ;  and  another,  to  prohibit  the  killing  of  deer 
in  the  teeming  months.  These  are  laws  that  were 
loudly  called  for,  by  judicious  men ;  nor  do  I  de 
spair  of  getting  an  act,  to  make  the  unlawful  felling 
of  timber  a  criminal  offence." 

The  hunter  listened  to  this  detail  with  breath 
less  attention,  and  when  the  Judge  had  ended,  he 
laughed  in  open  derision  for  a  moment,  before  he 
made  this  reply  : — 

"  You  may  make  your  laws,  Judge,  but  who 
will  you  find  to  watch  the  mountains  through  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  207 

long  summer  days,  or  the  lakes  at  night  ?  Game 
is  game,  and  he  who  finds  may  kill ;  that  has  been 
the  law  in  these  mountains  for  forty  years,  to  my 
sartain  knowledge;  and  I  think  one  old  law  is 
worth  two  new  ones.  None  but  a  green-one 
would  wish  to  kill  a  doe  with  a  fa'n  by  its  side, 
unless  his  moccasins  was  gettin  old,  or  his  leggins 
ragged,  for  the  flesh  is  lean  and  coarse.  But  a  rifle 
rings  among  them  rocks  along  the  lake  shore, 
sometimes,  as  if  fifty  pieces  were  fired  at  once  : — 
it  would  be  hard  to  tell  where  the  man  stood  \vho 
pulled  the  trigger." 

"  Armed  with  the  dignity  of  the  law,  Mr.  Bump- 
po,"  returned  the  Judge,  gravely,  "  a  vigilant  ma 
gistrate  can  prevent  much  of  the  evil  that  has 
hitherto  prevailed,  and  which  is  already  rendering 
the  game  scarce.  I  hope  to  live  to  see  the  day, 
when  a  man's  rights  in  his  game  shall  be  as  much 
respected  as  his  title  to  his  farm." 

"  Your  titles  and  your  farms  are  all  new  to 
gether,"  cried  Natty  ;  "  but  laws  should  be  equal, 
and  not  more  for  one  than  another.  I  shot  a  deer, 
last  Wednesday  was  a  fortnight,  and  it  floundered 
through  the  snow-banks  till  it  got  over  a  brush 
fence ;  I  catch'd  the  lock  of  my  rifle  in  the  twigs, 
in  following,  and  was  kept  back,  until  finally  the 
creater  got  off.  Now  I  want  to  know  who  is  to 
pay  me  for  that  deer ;  and  a  fine  buck  it  was.  If 
there  hadn't  been  a  fence,  I  should  have  gotten 
another  shot  into  it ;  and  I  never  draw'd  upon  any 
thing  that  hadn't  wings  three  times  running,  in  my 
born  days. — No,  no,  Judge,  it's  the  farmers  that 
makes  the  game  scearce,  and  not  the  hunters." 

"  Ter  teer  is  not  so  plenty  as  in  ter  old  war, 
Pumppo,"  said  the  Major,  who  had  been  an  atten 
tive  listener,  amidst  clouds  of  smoke ;  "  put  ter  lant 


208  THE   PIONEERS. 

is  not  mate  as  for  ter  teer  to  live  on,  put  for 
Christians." 

"  Why,  Major,  I  believe  you're  a  friend  to  jus 
tice  and  the  right,  though  you  go  so  often  to  the 
grand  house  ;  but  it's  a  hard  case  to  a  man,  to  have 
his  honest  calling  for  a  livelihood  stopt  by  sitch 
laws,  and  that  too  when,  if  right  was  done,  he 
mought  hunt  or  fish  on  any  day  in  the  week,  or 
on  the  best  flat  in  the  Patent,  if  he  was  so  minded." 

"  I  unterstant  you,  Letter-stockint,"  returned 
the  Major,  fixing  his  black  eyes,  with  a  look  of 
peculiar  meaning,  on  the  hunter  ;  "  put  you  tidn't 
use  to  be  so  prutent,  as  to  look  ahet  mit  so  much 
care." 

"  Maybe  there  wasn't  so  much  'casion,"  said 
the  hunter,  a  little  sulkily ;  when  he  sunk  into  a 
profound  silence,  from  which  he  was  not  roused 
for  some  time. 

"  The  Judge  was  saying  so'thin  about  the 
French,"  Hiram  observed,  when  the  pause  in  the 
conversation  had  continued  a  decent  time. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  returned  Marmaduke,  "  the  Jacobins 
of  France  seem  rushing  from  one  act  of  licentious 
ness  to  another.  They  continue  those  murders, 
which  are  dignified  by  the  name  of  executions. 
You  have  heard,  that  they  have  added  the  death 
of  their  Queen  to  the  long  list  of  their  crimes." 

"  Les  Betes !"  again  murmured  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi,  turning  himself  suddenly  in  his  chair,  with 
a  convulsive  start. 

"  The  province  of  La  Vendee  is  laid  waste  by 
the  troops  of  the  republic,  and  hundreds  of  its  in 
habitants,  who  are  royalists  in  their  sentiments, 
are  shot  at  a  time. — La  Vendee  is  a  district  in  the 
southwest  of  France,  that  continues  yet  much  at 
tached  to  the  family  of  the  Bourbons ;  doubtless 


THE    PIONEERS.  209 

Monsieur  Le  Quoi  is  acquainted  with  it,  and  can 
describe  it  more  faithfully." 

"  Non,  non,  non,  mon  cher  ami,"  returned  the 
Frenchman,  in  a  suppressed  voice,  but  speaking 
rapidly,  and  gesticulating  with  his  right  hand,  as 
if  for  mercy,  while  with  his  left  he  concealed  his 
eyes. 

"  There  have  been  many  battles  fought  lately," 
continued  Marmaduke,  "  and  the  infuriated  repub 
licans  are  too  often  victorious.  I  cannot  say,  how 
ever,  that  I  am  sorry  they  have  captured  Toulon 
from  the  English,  for  it  is  a  place  to  which  they 
seem  to  have  a  just  right." 

"  Ah — ha !"  exclaimed  Monsieur  Le  Quoi, 
springing  on  his  feet,  and  flourishing  both  arms 
with  great  animation  ;  "  ces  Anglais  !  dey  be  vipt ! 
De  French  be  one  gallant  peop',  if  dere  vas  gen'ral. 
Ah — ha  !  Toulon  take  ;  c'est  bon  !  I  do  vish  dat 
dey  take  Londre — pardonnez  moi ;  mais,  it  ees 
bon  !" 

The  Frenchman  continued  to  move  about  the 
room  with  great  alacrity  for  a  few  minutes,  repeat 
ing  his  exclamations  to  himself;  when,  overcome 
by  the  contradictory  nature  of  his  emotions,  he 
suddenly  burst  out  of  the  house,  and  was  seen 
wading  through  the  snow  towards  his  little  shop, 
waving  his  arms  on  high,  as  if  to  pluck  down  ho 
nour  from  the  moon.  His  departure  excited  but 
little  surprise,  for  the  villagers  were  used  to  his 
manner ;  but  Major  Hartmann  laughed  outright, 
for  the  first  time  during  his  visit,  as  he  lifted  the 
mug,  and  observed — 

"  Ter  Frenchman  is  mat — put  he  is  goot  as  for 
netting  to  trink  ;  he  is  trunk  mit  joy." 

"  The  French  are  good  soldiers,"  said  Captain 
Hollister ;  "  they  stood  us  in  hand  a  good  turn, 
down  at  York-town  ;  nor  do  I  think,  although  I  am 
18* 


THE    PIONEERS. 

an  ignorant  man  about  the  great  movements  of  the 
army,  that  his  Excellency  would  have  been  able  to 
march  against  Cornwallis,  without  their  reinforce 
ments." 

"  Ye  spake  the  trut',  Sargeant,"  interrupted  his 
wife,  "  and  I  would  iver  have  ye  be  doing  the  same. 
It's  varry  pratty  men  is  the  French  ;  and  jist  when 
I  stopt  the  cart,  the  time  when  ye  was  pushing  on 
in  front  it  was,  to  kape  the  rig'lers  in,  a  rigiment 
of  the  jontlemen  marched  by,  and  so  I  dealt  them 
out  to  their  liking.  Was  it  pay  I  got  ?  sure  did  I, 
and  in  good  solid  crowns  :  the  divil  a  bit  of  conti 
nental  could  they  muster  among  them  all,  for  love 
nor  money.  Och  !  the  Lord  forgive  me  for  swear 
ing,  and  spakeing  of  sich  vanities  :  but  this  I  will  say 
for  the  French,  that  they  paid  in  good  silver ;  and 
one  glass  would  go  a  great  way  wid  'em,  for  they 
gin'rally  handed  it  back  wid  a  drop  in  the  cup  ;  and 
that's  a  brisk  trade,  Joodge,  where  the  pay  is  good, 
and  the  men  not  over  partic'lar." 

u  A  thriving  trade,  Mrs.  Hollister,"  said  Marma- 
duke.  u  But  what  has  become  of  Richard  ?  he 
jumped  up  as  soon  as  seated,  and  has  been  absent 
so  long  that  I  am  fearful  he  has  frozen." 

"  No  fear  of  that,  cousin  'duke,"  cried  the  gen 
tleman  himself ;  "  business  will  sometimes  keep  a 
man  warm,  the  coldest  night  that  ever  snapt  in  the 
mountains.  Betty,  your  husband  told  me,  as  we 
came  out  of  church,  that  your  hogs  were  getting 
mangy,  so  I  have  been  out  to  take  a  look  at  them, 
and  found  it  true.  I  stepped  across,  Doctor,  and 
got  your  boy  to  weigh  me  out  a  pound  of  salts,  and 
have  been  mixing  it  with  their  swill.  I'll  bet  a 
saddle  of  venison  against  a  gray  squirrel,  that  they 
are  better  in  a  week.  And  now,  Mrs.  Hollister, 
I'm  ready  for  a  hissing  mug  of  flip." 


THE    PIONEERS.  211 

"  Sure,  I  know'd  yee'd  be  wanting  that  same," 
said  the  landlady ;  "  it's  mixt  and  ready  to  the 
boiling.  Sargeant,  dear,  jist  be  handing  up  the 
iron,  will  ye  ? — no,  the  one  in  the  far  fire,  it's  black, 
ye  will  see. — Ah  !  you've  the  thing  now  ;  look  if 
it's  not  as  red  as  a  cherry." 

The  beverage  was  heated,  and  Richard  took  that 
kind  of  draught  which  men  are  apt  to  indulge  in, 
who  think  that  they  have  just  executed  a  clever 
thing,  especially  when  they  like  the  liquor. 

"  Oh  !  you  have  a  hand,  Betty,  that  was  formed 
to  mix  flip,"  cried  Richard,  when  he  paused  for 
breath.  "  The  very  iron  has  a  flavour  in  it.  Here, 
John,  drink,  man,  drink.  I  and  you  and  Dr.  Todd, 
have  done  a  good  thing  with  the  shoulder  of  that 
lad  this  very  night.  'Duke,  I  made  a  song  while 
you  were  gone — one  day  when  I  had  nothing  to 
do  ;  so  I'll  sing  you  a  verse  or  two,  though  I  haven't 
really  determined  on  the  tune  yet : — 


What  is  life  but  a  scene  of  care, 

Where  each  one  must  toil  in  his  way  I 
Then  let  us  be  jolly,  and  prove  that  we  are 
A  set  of  good  fellows,  who  seem  very  rare, 
And  can  laugh  and  sing  all  the  day 
Then  let  us  be  jolly, 
And  cast  away  folly, 
For  grief  turns  a  black  head  to  gray. 


There,  'duke,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  There 
13  another  verse  of  it,  all  but  the  last  line.  I 
haven't  got  a  rhyme  for  the  last  line  yet. — Well, 
old  John,  what  do  you  think  of  the  music  ?  as  good 
as  one  of  your  war  songs,  ha  ?" 

"  Good,"  said  Mohegan,  who  had  been  sharing 
too  deeply  in  the  potations  of  the  landlady,  besides 
paying  a  proper  respect  to  the  passing  mugs  of  the 
Major  and  Marmaduke. 


212  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  Pravo  !  pravo  !  Richart,"  cried  the  Major, 
whose  black  eyes  were  beginning  to  swim  in  mois 
ture  ;  "  pravissimo  !  it  is  a  goot  song  ;  put  Natty 
Pumppo  hast  a  petter.  Letter-stockint,  vilt  sing  ? 
say,  olt  poy,  vilt  sing  ter  song,  as  apout  ter  woots  ?" 

"  No,  no,  Major,"  returned  the  hunter,  with  a 
melancholy  shake  of  the  head,  "  I  have  lived  to  see 
what  I  thought  eyes  could  never  behold  in  these 
hills,  and  I  have  no  heart  left  for  singing.  If  he, 
that  has  a  right  to  be  master  and  ruler  here,  is 
forced  to  squinch  his  thirst,  when  a-dry,  with  snow 
water,  it  ill  becomes  them  that  have  lived  by  his 
bounty  to  be  making  merry,  as  if  there  was  no 
thing  in  the  world  but  sunshine  and  summer." 

When  he  had  spoken,  Leather-stocking  again 
dropped  his  head  on  his  knees,  and  concealed  his 
hard  and  wrinkled  features  with  his  hands.  The 
change  from  the  excessive  cold  without  to  the  heat 
of  the  bar-room,  coupled  with  the  depth  and  fre 
quency  of  Richard's  draughts,  had  already  levelled 
whatever  inequality  there  might  have  existed  be 
tween  him  and  the  other  guests,  on  the  score  of 
spirits  ;  and  he  now  held  out  a  pair  of  swimming 
mugs  of  foaming  flip  towards  the  hunter,  as  he 
cried — 

"  Merry !  ay  !  merry  Christmas  to  you,  old  boy ! 
Sunshine  and  summer !  no  !  you  are  blind,  Leather- 
stocking,  'tis  moonshine  and  winter ; — take  these 
spectacles,  and  open  your  eyes — 

So  let  us  be  jolly, 
And  cast  away  folly, 
For  grief  turns  a  black  head  to  gray. 

"  Hear  how  old  John  turns  his  quavers.  What 
damned  dull  music  an  Indian  song  is,  after  all,  Ma 
jor.  I  wonder  if  they  ever  sing  by  note." 

While  Richard  was  singing  and  talking,  Mohe- 
gan  was  uttering  dull,  monotonous  tones,  keeping 


THE    PIONEERS.  213 

time  by  a  gentle  motion  of  his  head  and  body.  He 
made  use  of  but  few  words,  and  such  as  he  did  ut 
ter  were  in  his  native  language  and  consequently 
only  understood  by  himself  and  Natty.  Without 
heeding  Richard,  he  continued  to  sing  a  kind  of 
wild,  melancholy  air,  that  rose,  at  times,  in  sudden 
and  quite  elevated  notes,  and  then  fell  again  into 
the  low,  quavering  sounds,  that  seemed  to  com 
pose  the  character  of  his  music. 

The  attention  of  the  company  was  now  much  di 
vided,  the  men  in  the  rear  having  formed  them 
selves  into  little  groups,  where  they  were  dis 
cussing  various  matters;  among  the  principal  of 
which  were,  the  treatment  of  mangy  hogs,  and 
Parson  Grant's  preaching ;  while  Dr.  Todd  was 
endeavouring  to  explain  to  Marmaduke  the  nature 
of  the  hurt  received  by  the  young  hunter.  Mohe- 
gan  continued  to  sing,  while  his  countenance  was 
becoming  vacant,  though,  coupled  with  his  thick 
bushy  hair,  it  was  assuming  an  expression  very 
much  like  brutal  ferocity.  His  notes  were  gradu 
ally  growing  louder,  and  soon  rose  to  a  height  that 
caused  a  general  cessation  in  the  discourse.  The 
hunter  now  raised  his  head  again,  and  addressed 
the  old  warrior,  warmly,  in  the  Delaware  language, 
which,  for  the  benefit  of  our  readers,  we  shall  ren 
der  freely  into  English. 

"  Why  do  you  sing  of  your  battles,  Chingach- 
gook,  and  of  the  warriors  you  have  slain,  when  the 
worst  enemy  of  all  is  near  you,  and  keeps  the 
Young  Eagle  from  his  rights  ?  I  have  fought  in  as 
many  battles  as  any  warrior  in  your  tribe,  but  can 
not  boast  of  my  deeds  at  such  a  time  as  this." 

"  Hawk-eye,"  said  the  Indian,  tottering  with  a 
doubtful  step  from  his  place,  "  I  am  the  Great 
Snake  of  the  Delawares  ;  I  can  track  the  Mingoes, 
like  an  adder  that  is  stealing  on  the  whip-poor-will's 


214  THE   PIONEERS. 

eggs,  and  strike  them,  like  the  rattlesnake,  dead  at 
a  blow.  The  white  man  made  the  tomahawk  of 
Chingachgook  bright  as  the  waters  of  Otsego.  when 
the  last  sun  is  shining ;  but  it  is  red  with  the  blood 
of  the  Maquas." 

"  And  why  have  you  slain  the  Mingo  warriors  ? 
Was  it  not  to  keep  these  hunting  grounds  and  lakes 
to  your  father's  children  ?  and  were  they  not  given 
in  solemn  council  to  the  Fire-eater  ?  and  does  not 
the  blood  of  a  warrior  run  in  the  veins  of  a  young 
chief,  who  should  speak  aloud,  where  his  voice  is 
now  too  low  to  be  heard  ?" 

The  appeal  of  the  hunter  seemed,  in  some  mea 
sure,  to  recall  the  confused  faculties  of  the  Indian, 
who  turned  his  face  towards  the  listeners,  and  gazed 
intently  on  the  Judge.  He  shook  his  head,  throw 
ing  his  hair  back  from  his  countenance,  and  ex 
posed  his  eyes,  that  were  glaring  with  a  fierce  ex 
pression  of  wild  resentment.  But  the  man  was  not 
himself.  His  hand  seemed  to  make  a  fruitless  ef 
fort  to  release  his  tomahawk,  which  was  confined 
by  its  handle  to  his  belt,  while  his  eyes  gradually 
became  again  vacant.  Richard  at  that  instant 
thrusting  a  mug  before  him,  his  features  changed 
to  the  grin  of  idiocy,  and  seizing  the  vessel  with 
both  hands,  he  sunk  backward  on  the  bench,  and 
drank  until  satiated,  when  he  made  an  effort  to  lay 
aside  the  mug,  with  the  helplessness  of  total  ine 
briety. 

"  Shed  not  blood !"  exclaimed  the  hunter,  as  he 
watched  the  countenance  of  the  Indian  in  its  mo 
ment  of  ferocity — "  but  he  is  drunk,  and  can  do  no 
harm.  This  is  the  way  with  all  the  savages  ;  give 
them  liquor,  and  they  make  dogs  of  themselves. 
Well,  well — the  time  will  come  when  right  will  be 
done  ;  and  we  must  have  patience." 

Natty  still  spoke  in  the  Delaware  language,  and 


THE    PIONEERS.  215 

of  course  was  not  understood.  He  had  hardly  con 
cluded,  before  Richard  cried — 

"  Well,  old  John  is  soon  sowed  up.  Give  him 
a  birth,  Captain,  in  the  barn,  and  I  will  pay  for  it. 
I  am  rich  to-night,  ten  times  richer  than  'duke, 
with  all  his  lands,  and  military  lots,  and  funded 
debts,  and  bonds,  and  mortgages. 

Come  let  us  be  jolly, 
And  cast  away  folly, 
For  grief 

Drink,  King  Hiram — drink,  Mr.  Doo-nothing — 
drink,  sir,  I  say.  This  is  a  Christmas  eve,  which 
comes,  you  know,  but  once  a  year." 

"  He  !  he  !  he  !  the  Squire  is  quite  moosical  to 
night,"  said  Hiram,  whose  visage  began  to  give 
marvellous  signs  of  relaxation.  "I  rather  guess 
we  shall  make  a  church  on't  yet,  Squire  ?" 

"  A  church,  Mr.  Doolittle  !  we  will  make  a  ca 
thedral  of  it!  bishops,  priests,  deacons,  wardens, 
vestry,  and  choir ;  organ,  organist,  and  bellows ! 
By  the  lord  Harry,  as  Benjamin  says,  we  will  clap 
a  steeple  on  the  other  end  of  it,  and  make  two 
churches  of  it.  What  say  you,  'duke,  will  you  pay  ? 
ha  !  my  cousin  Judge,  wilt  pay  ?" 

u  Thou  makest  such  a  noise,  Dickon,"  returned 
Marmaduke,  "  it  is  impossible  that  I  can  hear  what 
Dr.  Todd  is  saying. — I  think  thou  observedst,  it  is 
probable  that  the  wound  will  fester,  so  as  to  occa 
sion  danger  to  the  limb,  in  this  cold  weather  ?" 

"  Out  of  nater,  sir,  quite  out  of  nater;"  said  El- 
nathan,  attempting  to  expectorate,  but  succeeding 
only  in  throwing  a  light,  frothy  substance,  like  a 
flake  of  snow,  into  the  fire — "  quite  out  of  nater, 
that  a  wownd  so  well  dressed,  and  with  the  ball 
in  my  pocket,  should  fester.  I  s'pose,  as  the  Judge 
talks  of  taking  the  young  man  into  his  house,  it  will 


216  THE   PIONEERS. 

be  most  convenient  if  I  make  but  one  charge 
on't." 

"  I  should  think  one  would  do,"  returned  Mar- 
maduke,  with  that  arch  smile  that  so  often  beamed 
on  his  face ;  leaving  the  beholder  in  doubt  whe 
ther  he  most  enjoyed  the  character  of  his  compa 
nion,  or  his  own  covert  humour. 

The  landlord  had  succeeded  in  placing  the  In 
dian  on  some  straw,  in  one  of  his  out-buildings, 
where,  covered  with  his  own  blanket,  John  con 
tinued  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

In  the  mean  time,  Major  Hartmann  began  to 
grow  noisy  and  jocular ;  glass  succeeded  glass,  and 
mug  after  mug  was  introduced,  until  the  carousal 
had  run  deep  into  the  night,  or  rather  morning ; 
when  the  veteran  German  expressed  an  inclination 
to  return  to  the  Mansion-house.  Most  of  the  party 
had  already  retired,  but  Marmaduke  knew  the  ha 
bits  of  his  friend  too  well  to  suggest  an  earlier  ad 
journment.  So  soon,  however,  as  the  proposal 
was  made,  the  Judge  eagerly  availed  himself  of  it, 
and  the  trio  prepared  to  depart.  Mrs.  Hollister  at 
tended  them  to  the  door  in  person,  cautioning  her 
guests  as  to  the  safest  manner  of  leaving  her  pre 
mises. 

"  Lane  on  Mister  Jones,  Major,"  said  she, "  he's 
young,  and  will  be  a  support  to  ye.  Well,  it's  a 
charming  sight  to  see  ye,  any  way,  at  the  Bould  Dra 
goon  :  and  sure  its  no  harm  to  be  kaping  a  Christ 
mas-eve  wid  a  light  heart,  for  it's  no  telling  when 
we  may  have  sorrow  come  upon  us.  So  good 
night,  Joodge,  and  a  merry  Christmas  to  ye  all,  to 
morrow  morning." 

The  gentlemen  made  their  adieus  as  well  as  they 
could,  and  taking  the  middle  of  the  road,  which 
was  a  fine,  wide,  and  well-beaten  path,  they  did 
tolerably  well  until  they  reached  the  gate  of  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  1* 

Mansion-house ;  but  on  entering  the  Judge's  do 
mains,  they  encountered  some  slight  difficulties. 
We  shall  not  stop  to  relate  them,  but  will  just  men 
tion  that,  in  the  morning,  sundry  diverging  paths 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  snow ;  and  that  once  dur 
ing  their  progress  to  the  door,  Marmaduke,  missing 
his  companions,  was  enabled  to  trace  them  by  one 
of  these  paths  to  a  spot,  where  he  discovered  them 
with  nothing  visible  but  their  heads ;  Richard  sing 
ing  in  a  most  vivacious  strain, 

"  Come,  let  oa  be  jolly, 

And  cast  away  folly, 

For  grief  turns  a  black  head  to  fraf." 

19 


CHAPTER  XV. 


*  Ag  she  lay,  on  that  day,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  O  P» 


PREVIOUSLY  to  the  occurrence  of  the  scene  at 
the  "  Bold  Dragoon,"  Elizabeth  had  been  safely 
reconducted  to  the  Mansion-house,  where  she  was 
left,  as  its  mistress,  either  to  amuse  or  employ 
herself  during  the  evening,  as  best  suited  her  own 
inclination.— Most  of  the  lights  were  extinguished ; 
but  as  Benjamin  adjusted,  with  great  care  and  re 
gularity,  four  large  candles,  in  as  many  massive 
candlesticks  of  brass,  in  a  row  on  the  sideboard, 
the  hall  possessed  a  peculiar  air  of  comfort  and 
warmth,  contrasted  with  the  cheerless  aspect  of 
the  room  she  had  left,  in  the  academy. 

Remarkable  had  been  one  of  the  listeners  to 
Mr.  Grant,  and  returned  with  her  resentment, 
which  had  been  not  a  little  excited  by  the  language 
of  the  Judge,  somewhat  softened  by  reflection  and 
the  worship.  She  recollected  the  youth  of  Eli 
zabeth,  and  thought  it  no  difficult  task,  under  pre 
sent  appearances,  to  exercise  that  power  indirect 
ly,  which  hitherto  she  had  enjoyed  undisputed. 
The  idea  of  being  governed,  or  of  being  compel- 
ted  to  pay  the  deference  of  servitude,  was  abso- 


THE   PIONEERS.  219 

lutely  intolerable  ;  and  she  had  already  determin 
ed  within  herself,  some  half-dozen  times,  to  make 
an  effort,  that  should  at  once  bring  to  an  issue  the 
delicate  point  of  her  domestic  condition.  But  as 
often  as  she  met  the  dark,  proud  eye  of  Elizabeth, 
who  was  walking  up  and  down  the  apartment, 
musing  on  the  scenes  of  her  youth,  and  the  change 
in  her  condition,  and  perhaps  the  events  of  the 
day,  the  housekeeper  experienced  an  awe,  that 
she  would  not  own  to  herself  could  be  excited  by 
any  thing  mortal.  It,  however,  checked  her  ad 
vances,  and  for  some  time  held  her  tongue-tied. 
At  length  she  determined  to  commence  the  dis 
course,  by  entering  on  a  subject  that  was  apt  to 
level  all  human  distinctions,  and  in  which  she 
might  display  her  own  abilities. 

"  It  was  quite  a  'wordy  sarmont  that  Parson 
Grant  give  us  to-night,"  said  Remarkable. — 
"  Them  church  ministers  be  commonly  smart  sar- 
monizers  ;  but  they  write  down  their  idees,  which 
is  a  great  privilege. — I  don't  think  that  by  nater 
they  are  sitch  tonguey  speakers  for  an  off-hand  dis 
course  as  the  standing-order  ministers  be." 

"  And  what  denomination  do  you  distinguish  as 
the  standing-order  ?"  inquired  Miss  Temple,  with 
some  surprise. 

"Why,  the  Presbyter'ans,  and  Congregationals, 
and  Baptists  too,  for-ti-'now;  and  all  sitch  as  don't 
go  on  their  knees  to  prayer." 

"  By  that  rule,  then,  you  would  call  those  who 
belong  to  the  persuasion  of  my  father,  the  sitting- 
order,"  observed  Elizabeth. 

"  I'm  sure  I've  never  heer'n  'em  spoken  of  by 
any  other  name  than  Quakers,  so  called,"  returned 
Remarkable,  betraying  a  slight  uneasiness:  "I 
should  be  the  last  one  to  call  them  otherwise,  for 
I  never  in  my  life  used  a  disparaging  tarm  of  the 


220  THE    PIONEERS. 

Judge,  or  any  of  his  family.  I've  always  set  store 
by  the  Quakers,  they  are  sitch  pretty-spoken, 
clever  people ;  and  it's  a  wonderment  to  me,  how 
your  daddy  come  to  marry  into  a  church  family, 
for  they  are  as  contrary  in  religion  as  can  be.  One 
sits  still,  and,  for  the  most  part,  says  nothing,  while 
the  church  folks  practyse  all  kinds  of  ways,  so  that 
I  sometimes  think  it  quite  moosical  to  see  them  ; 
for  I  went  to  a  church-meeting  once  before,  down 
country." 

"  You  have  found  an  excellence  in  the  church 
liturgy,  that  has  hitherto  escaped  me,"  said  Miss 
Temple.  "  I  will  thank  you  to  inquire  whether 
the  fire  in  my  room  burns  :  I  feel  fatigued  with  my 
day's  journey,  and  will  retire." 

Remarkable  felt  a  wonderful  inclination  to  tell 
the  young  mistress  of  the  mansion,  that  by  open 
ing  a  door  she  might  see  for  herself;  but  prudence 
got  the  better  of  her  resentment,  and  after  pausing 
some  little  time,  as  a  salvo  to  her  dignity,  she  did 
as  desired.  The  report  was  favourable,  and  the 
young  lady,  wishing  Benjamin,  who  was  filling  the 
stove  with  wood,  and  the  housekeeper,  each  a 
good  night,  withdrew. 

The  instant  that  the  door  closed  on  Miss  Tem 
ple,  Remarkable  commenced  a  sort  of  mysterious, 
ambiguous  discourse,  that  was  neither  abusive  nor 
commendatory  of  the  qualities  of  the  absent  per 
sonage  ;  but  which  seemed  to  be  drawing  nigh,  by 
regular  degrees,  to  a  most  dissatisfied  description. 
The  Major-domo  made  no  reply,  but  continued  his 
occupation  with  great  industry,  which  being  hap 
pily  completed,  he  took  a  look  at  the  thermome 
ter,  and  then,  opening  a  drawer  of  the  sideboard, 
he  produced  a  supply  of  stimulants,  that  would 
have  served  to  keep  the  warmth  in  his  sysiern, 
without  the  aid  of  the  enormous  fire  he  had  been 


THE    PIONEERS. 

building.  A  small  stand  was  drawn  up  near  the 
stove,  and  the  bottles  and  the  glasses  necessary 
for  convenience,  were  quietly  arranged.  Two 
chairs  were  placed  by  the  side  of  this  comfortable 
situation,  when  Benjamin,  for  the  first  time,  ap 
peared  to  observe  his  companion. 

"  Come,"  he  cried,  "  come,  Mistress  Remarka 
ble,  bring  yourself  to  an  anchor  in  this  here  chair. 
It's  a  peeler  without,  I  can  tell  you,  good  woman ; 
but  what  cares  I  ?  blow  high  or  blow  low,  d'ye  see, 
it's  all  the  same  thing  to  Ben.  The  niggers  are 
snug  stowed  below,  before  a  fire  that  would  roast 
an  ox  whole.  The  thermometer  stands  now  at 
fifty-five,  but  if  there's  any  vartue  in  good  maple 
wood,  I'll  weather  upon  it,  before  one  glass,  as 
much  as  ten  points  more,  so  that  the  Squire,  when 
he  comes  home  from  Betty  Hollister's  warm  room, 
will  feel  as  hot  as  a  hand  that  has  given  the  rigging 
a  lick  with  bad  tar.  Come,  Mistress,  bring  up  in 
this  here  chair,  and  tell  me  how  it  is  you  like  our 
new  heiress." 

"  Why,  to  my  notion,  Mr.  Penguillum" — 

"  Pump — Pump,"  interrupted  Benjamin ;  "  it's 
Christmas-eve,  Mistress  Remarkable,  and  so,  d'ye 
see,  you  had  better  call  me  Pump.  It's  a  shorter 
name,  and  as  I  mean  to  pump  this  here  decanter 
till  it  sucks,  why  you  may  as  well  call  me  Pump." 

"  Did  you  ever!"  cried  Remarkable,  with  a 
laugh  that  seemed  to  jinhinge  every  joint  in  her 
body.  "  You're  a  moosical  creater,  Benjamin, 
when  the  notion  takes  you.  But  as  I  was  saying, 
I  rather  guess  that  times  will  be  altered  now  in  this 
house." 

"  Altered  !"  exclaimed  the  Major-domo,  eyeing 
the  bottle,  that  was  assuming  the  clear  aspect  of 
cut  glass  with  astonishing  rapidity ;  "  it  don't  mat- 
19* 


222  THE    PIONEERS. 

ter  much,  Mistress  Remarkable,  so  long  as  I  keep 
the  keys  of  the  lockers  in  my  pocket." 

"  I  can't  say,"  continued  the  house-keeper, "  but 
there's  good  eatables  and  drinkables  enough  in  the 
house  for  a  body's  content — a  little  more  sugar, 
Benjamin,  in  the  glass — for  Squire  Jones  is  an  ex 
cellent  provider.  But  new  lords,  new  laws ;  and 
I  shouldn't  wonder,  if  you  and  I  had  an  unsartain 
time  on't  in  footer." 

"  Life  is  as  unsartain  as  the  wind  that  blows," 
said  Benjamin,  with  a  most  imposingly  moralizing 
air ; — "  and  nothing  is  more  vari'ble  than  the  wind, 
Mistress  Remarkable,  unless  you  happen  to  fall  in 
with  the  trades,  d'ye  see,  and  then  you  may  run 
for  the  matter  of  a  month  at  a  time,  with  studding* 
sails  on  both  sides  alow  and  aloft,  and  with  the  ca 
bin-boy  at  the  wheel." 

"  I  know  that  life  is  disp'ut  unsartain,"  said  Re 
markable,  compressing  her  features  to  the  humour 
of  her  companion  ;  "  but  I  expect  there  will  be 
great  changes  made  in  the  house  to  rights;  and 
that  you  will  find  a  young  man  put  over  your  head, 
as  well  as  there  is  one  that  wants  to  be  over  mine  ; 
and  after  having  been  settled  as  long  as  you  have, 
Benjamin,  I  should  judge  that  to  be  hard." 

"Promotion  should  go  according  to  length  ol 
sarvice,"  said  the  Major-domo  ;  "  and  if-so-be  that 
they  ship  a  hand  for  my  birth,  or  place  a  new  stew 
ard  aft,  I  shall  throw  up  my  commission  in  less 
time  than  you  can  put  a  pilot-boat  in  stays.  Thol 
Squire  Dickens," — this  was  a  common  misnomer 
with  Benjamin, — "  is  a  nice  gentleman,  and  as  good 
a  man  to  sail  with  as  heart  could  wish,  yet  I  shall 
tell  the  Squire,  d'ye  see,  in  plain  English,  and 
that's  my  native  tongue,  that  if-so-be  he  is  think 
ing  of  putting  any  Johnny-raw  over  my  head,  why 


THE    PIONEERS.  223 

I  shall  resign.  I  began  forrard,  Mistress  Pretty- 
bones,  and  worked  my  way  aft,  like  a  man.  I  was 
six  months  aboard  a  Garnsey  lugger,  hauling  in  the 
slack  of  the  lee-sheet,  and  coiling  up  rigging. 
From  that  I  went  a  few  trips  in  a  fore-and -after, 
in  the  same  trade,  which,  after  all,  was  but  a  blind 
kind  of  sailing  in  the  dark,  where  a  man  larns  but 
little,  excepting  how  to  steer  by  the  stars.  Well, 
then,  d'ye  see,  I  larnt  how  a  topmast  should  be 
slushed,  and  how  a  top-gallant-sail  was  to  be  beck- 
etted  ;  and  then  I  did  small  jobs  in  the  cabin,  such 
as  mixing  the  skipper's  grog.  'Twas  there  I  got 
my  taste,  which,  you  must  have  often  seen,  is  ex 
cellent. — Well,  here's  better  acquaintance  to  us." 

Remarkable  nodded  a  return  to  the  compliment, 
and  took  a  .sip  of  the  beverage  before  her ;  for,  pro 
vided  it  was  well  sweetened,  she  had  no  objection 
to  a  small  potation  now  and  then.  After  this  ob 
servance  of  courtesy  between  the  worthy  couple, 
the  dialogue  proceeded  as  follows : 

"  You  have  had  great  experunces  in  your  life, 
Benjamin  ;  for,  as  the  scripter  says,'  they  that  go 
down  to  the  sea  in  ships  see  the  works  of  the 
Lord.'" 

"  Ay  !  for  hat  matter,  they  in  brigs  and  schoo 
ners  too  ;  and  it  mought  say,  the  works  of  the  devil. 
The  sea,  Mistress  Remarkable,  is  a  great  advan 
tage  to  a  man,  in  the  way  of  knowledge,  for  he 
sees  the  fashions  of  nations,  and  the  shape  of  a 
country.  Now,  I  suppose,  for  myself  here,  who  is 
but  an  unlarned  man  to  some  that  follows  the  seas, 
T  suppose  that,  taking  the  coast  from  cape  Ler- 
Hogue  as  low  down  as  Cape  Finish- there,  there 
isn't  so  much  as  a  head-land,  or  an  island,  that  I 
don't  know  either  the  name  of  it,  or  something 
more  or  less  about  it. — Take  enough,  woman,  to 
colour  the  water.  Here's  sugar.  It's  a  sweet 


224  THE    PIONEERS. 

tooth,  that  fellow  that  you  hold  on  upon  yet,  Mis* 
tress  Pretty-bones. — But,  as  I  was  saying,  take  the 
whole  coast  along,  I  know  it  as  well  as  the  way 
from  here  to  the  Bold  Dragoon  ;  and  a  devil  of  ao 
acquaintance  is  that  Bay  of  Biscay.  Whew  !  I 
wish  you  could  but  hear  the  wind  blow  there.  It 
sometimes  takes  two  to  hold  one  man's  hair  on  his 
head.  Scudding  through  the  Bay  is  pretty  much 
the  same  thing  as  travelling  the  roads  in  this  coun 
try,  up  one  side  of  a  mountain,  and  down  the 
other." 

"  Do  tell !"  exclaimed  Remarkable  ;  "  and  does 
the  sea  run  as  high  as  mountains,  Benjamin  ?" 

"  Well,  I  will  tell ;  but  first  let's  taste  the  grog. 
— Hem  !  it's  the  right  kind  of  stuff,  I  must  say,  that 
you  keeps  in  this  country  ;  but  then  you're  so  close 
aboard  the  West-Indies,  you  make  but  a  small  run 
of  it.  By  the  lord  Harry,  woman,  if  Garnsey  only 
lay  somewhere  between  Cape  Hatteras  and  the 
Bite  of  Logann,  but  you'd  see  rum  cheap  !  As  to 
the  seas,  they  runs  more  in  lippers  in  the  Bay  of 
Biscay,  unless  it  may  be  in  a  sow-wester,  when 
they  tumble  about  quite  handsomely  ;  thof  its  not 
in  the  narrow  seas  that  you  are  to  look  for  a  swell ; 
just  go  off  the  Western  Islands,  in  a  westerly  blow, 
keeping  the  land  on  your  larboard  hand,  with  the 
ship's  head  to  the  south'ard,  and  bring  too,  under 
a  close-reef'd  topsail ;  or,  mayhap,  a  reef 'd  fore 
sail,  with  a  fore-top-mast-staysail ;  and  mizzen- 
staysail,  to  keep  her  up  to  the  sea,  if  she  will  bear 
it ;  and  lay  there  for  the  matter  of  two  watches,  if 
you  want  to  see  mountains.  Why,  good  woman, 
I've  been  off  there  in  the  Boadishey  frigate,  when 
you  could  see  nothing  but  some  such  matter  as  a 
piece  of  sky,  mayhap,  as  big  as  the  mainsail ;  and 
then  again,  there  was  a  hole  under  your  lee-quar 
ter,  big  enough  to  hold  the  whole  British  navy." 


THE    PIONEERS.  225 

"  Oh  !  for  massy's  sake  !  and  wan't  you  afeard, 
Benjamin  ?  and  how  did  you  get  off  ?" 

"  Afeard  !  who  the  devil  do  you  think  was  to  be 
frightened  at  a  little  salt  water  tumbling  about  his 
head  ?  As  for  getting  off,  when  we  had  enough  of 
it,  and  had  washed  our  decks  down  pretty  well, 
we  called  all  hands,  for,  d'ye  see,  the  watch  below 
was  in  their  hammocks,  all  the-same  as  if  they  were 
in  one  of  your  best  bed-rooms  ;  and  so  we  watch 
ed  for  a  smooth  time  ;  clapt  her  helm  hard  a-wea- 
ther,  let  fall  the  foresail,  and  got  the  tack  aboard ; 
and  so,  when  we  got  her  afore  it,  I  ask  you,  Mis 
tress  Pretty-bones,  if  she  didn't  walk  ?  didn't  she  ! 
I'm  no  liar,  good  woman,  when  I  say  that  I  saw 
that  ship  jump  from  the  top  of  one  sea  to  another, 
just  like  one  of  these  squirrels  that  can  fly  jumps 
from  tree  to  tree." 

"  What,  clean  out  of  the  water  !"  exclaimed  Re 
markable,  lifting  her  two  lank  arms,  with  their  bony 
hands  spread  in  astonishment. 

"  It  was  no  such  easy  matter  to  get  out  of  the 
water,  good  woman ;  for  the  spray  flew  so  that  you 
couldn't  tell  which  was  sea  and  which  was  cloud. 
So  there  we  kept  her  afore  it,  for  the  matter  of  two 
glasses.  The  first  lieutenant  he  cun'd  the  ship 
himself,  and  there  was  four  quarter-masters  at  the 
wheel,  besides  the  master,  with  six  forecastle  men 
in  the  gun-room,  at  the  relieving  tackles.  But  then 
she  behaved  herself  so  well !  Oh  !  she  was  a  sweet 
ship,  mistress  !  That  one  frigate  was  well  worth 
more,  to  live  in,  than  the  best  house  in  the  island. 
If  1  was  king  of  England,  I'd  have  her  hauled  up 
above  Lon'on  bridge,  and  fit  her  up  for  a  palace  ; 
because  why  ?  if  any  body  can  afford  to  live  com 
fortably,  his  majesty  can." 

"  Well !  but  Benjamin,"  cried  the  listener,  who 


226 


THE    PIONEERS. 


was  in  an  ecstasy  of  astonishment,  at  this  relation 
of  the  steward's  dangers,  "  what  did  you  do  ?" 

"  Do !  why  we  did  our  duty,  like  good  hearty 
fellows.  Now  if  the  countrymen  of  Mounsheer  Ler 
Quaw  had  been  aboard  of  her,  they  would  have  just 
struck  her  ashore  on  some  of  them  small  islands ; 
but  we  run  along  the  land,  until  we  found  her  dead 
to  leeward  off  the  mountains  of  Pico,  and  dam'me 
if  I  know  to  this  day  how  we  got  there,  whether 
we  jumped  over  the  island,  or  hauled  round  it ; — 
but  there  we  was,  and  there  we  lay,  under  easy 
sail,  fore-reaching,  first  upon  one  tack  and  then 
upon  t'other,  so  as  to  poke  her  nose  out  now  and 
hen,  and  take  a  look  to  wind'ard,  till  the  gale 

2>w'd  its  pipe  out." 

"  I  wonder  now !"  exclaimed  Remarkable,  to 
whom  most  of  the  terms  used  by  Benjamin  were 
perfectly  unintelligible,  but  who  had  got  a  confused 
idea  of  a  raging  tempest.  "  It  must  be  an  awful  life, 
that  going  to  sea !  and  I  don't  feel  astonishment 
that  you're  so  affronted  with  the  thoughts  of  being 
forced  to  quit  a  comfortable  home  like  this.  Not 
that  a  body  cares  much  for't,  as  there's  more  houses 
than  one  to  live  in.  Why,  when  the  Judge  agreed 
with  me  to  come  and  live  with  him,  I'd  no  more 
notion  of  stopping  any  time  than  any  thing.  I 
happened  in,  just  to  see  how  the  family  did,  about 
a  week  after  Miss  Temple  died,  thinking  to  be 
back  home  agin  night ;  but  the  family  was  in  sitch 
a  distressed  way,  that  I  couldn't  but  stop  awhile, 
and  help  'em  on.  I  thought  the  sitooation  a  good 
one,  seeing  that  I  was  an  unmarried  body,  and  they 
were  so  much  in  want  of  help  ;  so  I  tarried." 

"  And  a  long  time  have  you  left  your  anchors 
down  in  the  same  place,  mistress.  I  think  you  must 
find  that  the  ship  rides  easy  ?" 


THE   PIONEERS.  227 

"  How  you  talk,  Benjamin  !  there's  no  believing 
a  word  you  say.  I  must  say  that  the  Judge  and 
Squire  Jones  have  both  acted  quite  clever,  so  long ; 
but  I  see  that  now  we  shall  have  a  specimen  to  the 
contrary.  I  heer'n  say  that  the  Judge  was  gone  a 
great  'broad,  and  that  he  meant  to  bring  his  darter 
hum,  but  I  did'nt  calcoolate  on  sitch  carrins  on. 
To  my  notion,  Benjamin,  she's  likely  to  turn  out  a 
desput  ugly  gall." 

"  Ugly!"  echoed  the  Major-domo,  opening  his 
eyes,  that  were  beginning  to  close  in  a  very  suspi 
cious  sleepiness,  in  wide  amazement.  "  By  the 
lord  Harry,  woman,  I  should  as  soon  think  of  call 
ing  the  Boadishey  a  clumsy  frigate.  What  the 
devil  would  you  have  ?  arn't  her  eyes  as  bright  as 
the  morning  and  evening  stars  !  and  isn't  her  hair 
as  black  and  glistening  as  rigging  that  has  just  hao 
a  lick  of  tar  !  does'nt  she  move  as  stately  as  a  first- 
rate  in  smooth  water,  on  a  bow-line  !  Why,  wo 
man,  the  figure-head  of  the  Boadishey  was  a  fool 
to  her,  and  that,  as  I've  often  heard  the  captain 
say,  was  an  image  of  a  great  Queen ;  and  arn't 
Queens  always  comely,  woman  ?  for  who  do  you 
think  would  be  a  King,  and  not  choose  a  handsome 
bedfellow  ?" 

"  Talk  decent,  Benjamin,"  said  the  housekeep 
er,  "  or  I  won't  keep  your  company.  I  don't  gain 
say  her  being  comely  to  look  on,  but  I  will  main 
tain,  that  she's  likely  to  show  but  poor  conduct. 
She  seems  to  think  herself  too  good  to  talk  to  a 
poor  body.  From  what  Squire  Jones  had  tell'd 
me,  I  some  expected  to  be  quite  captivated  by  her 
company.  Now,  to  my  reckoning,  Lowizy  Grant 
is  much  more  pritty  behaved  than  Betsy  Temple. 
She  wouldn't  so  much  as  hold  discourse  with  me, 
when  I  wanted  to  ask  her  how  she  felt,  on  coming 
home  and  missing  her  mammy." 


228  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Perhaps  she  didn't  understand  you,  woman 
you  are  none  of  the  best  linguister ;  and  then  Mis3 
Lizzy  has  been  exercising  the  King's  English  un 
der  a  great  Lon'on  lady,  and,  for  that  matter,  can 
talk  the  language  almost  as  well  as  myself,  or  any 
native  born  British  subject.  You've  forgot  your 
schooling,  and  the  young  mistress  is  a  great  scol- 
lard." 

"  Mistress  !"  cried  Remarkable  ;  "  don't  make 

e  out  to  be  a  nigger,  Benjamin.  She's  no  mis 
tress  of  mine,  and  never  will  be.  And  as  to  speech, 
I  hold  myself  as  second  to  nobody  out  of  New 
England.  I  was  born  and  raised  in  Essex  county ; 
and  I've  always  heer'n  say,  that  the  Bay  State  was 
provarbal  for  pronounsation  !" 

"  I've  often  heard  of  that  Bay  of  State,"  said 
Benjamin,  "  but  can't  say  that  I've  ever  been  in  it, 
nor  do  I  know  exactly  where  away  it  is  that  it  lays ; 
but  I  suppose  that  there  is  good  anchorage  in  it, 
and  that  it's  no  bad  place  for  the  taking  of  ling ;  but 
for  size,  it  can't  be  so  much  as  a  yawl  to  a  sloop 
of  war,  compared  with  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  or,  may 
hap,  Tor-bay.  And  as  for  language,  if  you  want 
to  hear  the  dictionary  overhauled,  like  a  long-line 
in  a  blow,  you  must  go  to  Wapping,  and  listen  to 
the  Lon'oners,  as  they  deal  out  their  lingo.  How- 
somever,  I  see  no  such  mighty  matter  that  Miss 
Lizzy  has  been  doing  to  you,  good  woman,  so  take 
another  drop  of  your  brew,  and  forgive  and  forget, 
like  an  honest  soul." 

"  No,  indeed !  and  I  shan't  do  sitch  a  thing, 
Benjamin.  This  treatment  is  a  newity  to  me,  and 
what  I  won't  put  up  with.  I  have  a  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  at  use,  besides  abed  and  twenty  sheep, 
to  good  ;  and  I  don't  crave  to  live  in  a  house  where 
a  body  mus'nt  call  a  young  woman  by  her  given 
name  to  her  face.  I  will  call  her  Betsy  as  much 


THE    PIONEERS.  229 

as  I  please  ;  it's  a  free  country,  and  no  one  can  stop 
me.  I  did  intend  to  stop  while  summer,  but  I  shall 
quit  to-morrow  morning ;  and  I  will  talk  just  as  I 
please." 

"  For  that  matter,  Mistress  Remarkable,"  said 
Benjamin,  "  there's  none  here  who  will  contradict 
you,  for  I'm* of  opinion  that  it  would  be  as  easy  to 
stop  a  hurricane  with  a  Barcelony  hankerchy,  as  to 
bring  up  your  tongue,  when  the  stopper  is  off.  I 
say,  good  woman,  do  they  grow  many  monkeys 
along  the  shores  of  that  Bay  of  State  ?" 

"  You're  a  monkey  yourself,  Mr.  Penguillum," 
cried  the  enraged  housekeeper,  "  or  a  bear !  a 
black,  beastly  bear  !  and  an't  fit  for  a  decent  wo 
man  to  stay  with.  I'll  never  keep  your  company 
agin,  sir,  if  I  should  live  thirty  years  with  the 
Judge.  Sitch  talk  is  more  befitting  the  kitchen 
than  the  keeping-room  of  a  house  of  one  who  is 
well  to  do  in  the  world." 

"  Look  you,  Mistress  Pitty — Patty — Pretty- 
bones,  mayhap  Pm  some  such  matter  as  a  bear, 
d'ye  see,  as  they  will  find  who  come  to  grapple 
with  me ;  but  dam'me  if  Pm  a  monkey — a  thing 
that  chatters  without  knowing  a  word  of  what  it 
says — a  parrot ;  that  will  hold  a  dialogue,  for  what 
an  honest  man  knows,  in  a  dozen  languages  ;  may 
hap  in  the  Bay  of  State  lingo ;  mayhap  in  Greek 
or  High  Dutch.  But  dost  it  know  what  it  means 
itself  ?  canst  answer  me  that,  good  woman  ?  Youi 
Midshipman  can  sing  out,  and  pass  the  word,  when 
the  Captain  gives  the  order,  but  just  set  him  adrift 
by  himself,  and  let  him  work  the  ship  of  his  own 
head,  and,  stop  my  grog,  if  you  don't  find  all  the 
Johny-raws  laughing  at  him." 

"  Stop  your  grog,  indeed  !"    said  Remarkable, 
rising  with  groat  indignation,  and  seizing  a  candle  , 
20 


230  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  you're  groggy  now,  Benjamin,  and  I'll  quit  the 
room  before  I  hear  any  of  your  misbecoming  words 
from  you." 

The  housekeeper  retired,  with  a  manner  but  lit 
tle  less  dignified,  as  she  thought,  than  the  air  of 
the  stately  heiress,  muttering,  as  she  drew  the  door 
after  her,  with  a  noise  like  the  report  of  a  musket, 
the  opprobrious  terms  of  "  drunkard,"  "  sot,"  and 
"beast." 

"  Who's  that  you  say  is  drunk  ?"  cried  Benja 
min,  fiercely,  rising  and  making  a  movement  to 
wards  Remarkable.  "  You  talk  of  mustering  your 
self  with  a  lady  !  you're  just  fit  to  grumble  and  find 
fault.  Where  the  devil  should  you  larn  behaviour 
and  dictionary  ?  in  your  damned  Bay  of  State, 
ha?" 

Benjamin  here  fell  back  in  his  chair,  and  soon 
gave  vent  to  certain  ominous  sounds,  which  re 
sembled,  not  a  little,  the  growling  of  his  favourite 
animal,  the  bear  itself.  Before,  however,  he  was 
quite  locked,  to  use  the  language  that  would  suit 
the  Della-cruscan  humour  of  certain  refined  critics 
of  the  present  day,  "  in  the  arms  of  Morpheus," 
he  spoke  aloud,  observing  due  pauses  between  his 
epithets,  the  impressive  terms  of  "  monkey,"  "par 
rot,"  "pic-nic,"  "  tar-pot,"  and  "  linguisters." 

We  will  not  attempt  to  explain  his  meaning,  nor 
connect  his  sentences,  and  our  readers  must  be  sa 
tisfied  with  our  informing  them,  that  they  were 
expressed  with  all  that  coolness  of  contempt,  that 
a  man  might  well  be  supposed  to  feel  for  a  mon 
key. 

Nearly  two  hours  passed  in  this  sleep,  before 
the  Major-domo  was  awakened  by  the  noisy  en 
trance  of  Richard,  Major  Hartmann,  and  the  mas 
ter  of  the  mansion.  Benjamin  so  far  rallied  his 


THE   PIONEERS.  .231 

*ocfused  faculties,  as  to  shape  the  course  of  the 
two  former  to  their  respective  apartments,  when 
he  disappeared  himself,  leaving  the  task  of  secur 
ing  the  house  to  him  who  was  most  interested  iu 
its  safety.  Locks  and  bars  were  but  little  attend 
ed  to  in  the  early  day  of  that  settlement ;  and  so 
soon  as  Marmaduke  had  given  an  eye  to  the  enor 
mous  fires  of  his  dwelling,  he  retired.  And  with 
this  act  of  prudence  closes  the  first  night  of  our 
tale. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


"  Watch.  (o.t(<Ze)    Soms  treason,  masters — 

Yet  stand  close." 

Much  ado  about  nothing 


IT  was  fortunate  for  more  than  one  of  the  bac 
chanalians,  who  left  the  "  Bold  Dragoon"  late  in 
the  evening,  that  the  severe  cold  of  the  season 
was  becoming,  rapidly,  less  dangerous,  as  they 
threaded  the  different  mazes,  through  the  snow 
banks,  that  led  to  their  respective  dwellings.  Thin, 
driving  clouds  began,  towards  morning,  to  flit  across 
the  heavens,  and  the  moon  sat  behind  a  volume  of 
vapour,  that  was  impelled  furiously  towards  the 
north,  carrying  with  it  the  softer  atmosphere  from 
the  distant  ocean.  The  rising  sun  was  obscured 
by  denser  and  increasing  columns  of  clouds,  while 
the  southerly  wind,  that  rushed  up  the  valley, 
brought  the  never  failing-symptoms  of  a  thaw. 

It  was  quite  late  in  the  morning,  before  Eliza 
beth,  observing  the  faint  glow  which  appeared  on 
the  eastern  mountain,  long  after  the  light  of  the  sun 
had  struck  the  opposite  hills,  ventured  from  the 
house,  with  a  view  to  gratify  her  curiosity  with  a 
glance  by  daylight  at  the  surrounding  objects,  be 
fore  the  tardy  revellers  of  the  Christmas-eve 
should  make  their  appearance  at  the  breakfast-ta 
ble.  While  she  was  drawing  the  folds  of  her  pe- 


THE    PIONEERS.  233 

lisse  more  closely  around  her  form,  to  guard  against 
a  cold  that  was  yet  great,  though  rapidly  yielding, 
in  the  small  enclosure  that  opened  in  the  rear  of  the 
house  on  a  little  thicket  of  low  pines,  that  were 
springing  up  where  trees  of  a  mightier  giowth  had 
lately^  stood,  she  wTas  surprised  at  the  voice  of  Mr. 
Jones,  crying  aloud — 

"  Merry  Christmas,  merry  Christmas  to  you, 
cousin  Bess.  Ah,  ha !  an  early  riser,  I  see  ;  but  I 
knew  I  should  steal  a  march  on  you.  I  never  was 
in  a  house  yet,  where  I  didn't  get  the  first  Christ 
mas  greeting  on  every  soul  in  it,  man,  woman,  and 
child  ;  great  and  small ;  black,  white,  and  yellow. 
But  stop  a  minute,  till  I  can  just  slip  on  my  coat ; 
you  are  about  to  look  at  the  improvements,  I  see, 
which  no  one  can  explain  so  well  as  I,  who  planned 
them  all.  It  will  be  an  hour  before  'duke  and  the 
Major  can  sleep  off  Mrs.  Hollister's  confounded 
distillations,  and  so  I'll  come  down  and  go  with 
you." 

Elizabeth  turned,  and  observed  her  cousin  in 
his  night-cap,  with  his  head  out  of  his  bed -room 
window,  where  his  zeal  for  pre-eminence,  in  defi 
ance  of  the  weather,  had  impelled  him  to  thrust 
it.  She  laughed,  and  promising  to  wait  for  his 
company,  she  re-entered  the  house,  making  her 
appearance  again,  holding  in  her  hand  a  packet 
that  was  secured  by  several  large  and  important 
seals,  just  in  time  to  meet  the  gentleman. 

"  Come,  Bessy,  come,"  he  cried,  drawing  one 
of  her  arms  through  his  own  ;  "  the  snow  begins 
to  give,  but  it  will  bear  us  yet.  Don't  you  snuff 
old  Pennsylvania  in  the  very  air  ?  This  is  a  vile 
climate,  girl  ;  now  at  sunset,  last  evening,  it  was 
cold  enough  to  freeze  a  man's  zeal,  and  that,  T  can 
tell  you,  takes  a  thermometer  near  zero  for  me ; 
then  about  nine  or  ten  it  began  to  moderate ;  at 
20  * 


234  THE    PIONEERS. 

twelve  it  was  quite  mild,  and  here  all  the  rest  of 
the  night  I  have  been  so  hot  as  not  to  bear  a  blan 
ket  on  the  bed. — Holla!  Aggy, — merry  Christ 
mas,  Aggy — I  say,  do  you  hear  me,  you  black  dog ' 
there's  a  dollar  for  you ;  and  if  the  gentlemen  get 
up  before  I  come  back,  do  you  come  out  and  let 
me  know.  I  wouldn't  have  'duke  get  the  start  of 
me  for  the  worth  of  your  head." 

The  black  caught  the  money  from  the  snow,  and 
promising  a  due  degree  of  watchfulness,  he  gave 
the  dollar  a  whirl  in  the  air  of  twenty  feet,  and 
catching  it  as  it  fell,  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  he 
withdrew  to  the  kitchen,  to  exhibit  his  present, 
with  a  heart  as  light  as  his  face  was  happy  in  its 
expression. 

"  Oh,  rest  easy,  my  dear  coz,"  said  the  young 
lady  ;  "  I  took  a  look  in  at  my  father,  who  is  like 
ly  to  sleep  an  hour  ;  and  by  using  due  vigilance 
you  will  secure  all  the  honours  of  the  season." 

"  Why,  'duke  is  your  father,  Elizabeth ;  but 
'duke  is  a  man  who  likes  to  be  foremost,  even  in 
trifles.  Now,  as  for  myself,  I  care  for  ri*b  such 
things,  except  in  the  way  of  competition ;  for  a 
thing,  which  is  of  no  moment  in  itself,  may  be  made 
of  importance  in  the  way  of  competition.  So  it 
is  with  your  father — he  loves  to  be  first ;  but  I  only 
struggle  with  him  as  a  competitor,  like." 

"  Oh  !  it's  all  very  clear,  sir,"  said  Elizabeth ; 
"  you  would  not  care  a  fig  for  distinction,  if  there 
were  no  one  in  the  world  but  yourself;  but  as 
there  happen  to  be  a  great  many  others,  why,  you 
must  struggle  with  them  all — in  the  way  of  com 
petition." 

"  Exactly  so ;  I  see  you  are  a  clever  girl,  Bess- 
and  one  who  does  credit  to  her  masters.  It  was 
my  plan  to  send  you  to  that  school ;  for  when  your 
father  first  mentioned  the  thing,  I  wrote  a  private 


THE    PIONEERS.  235 

letter  for  advice  to  a  judicious  friend  in  the  city, 
who  recommended  the  very  school  you  went  to. 
'Duke  was  a  little  obstinate  at  first,  as  usual,  but 
when  he  heard  the  truth,  he  was  obliged  to  send 
you." 

"  Well,  a  truce  to  'duke's  foibles,  sir  ;  he  is  my 
father ;  and  if  you  knew  what  he  has  been  doing 
for  you  while  we  were  in  Albany,  you  would  deal 
more  tenderly  with  his  character." 

"  For"  me  !"  cried  Richard,  pausing  a  moment 
*  in  his  walk  to  reflect.  "  Oh  !  he  got  the  plans  of 
the  new  Dutch  meeting-house  for  me,  I  suppose ; 
but  I  care  very  little  about  it,  for  a  man,  of  a  cer 
tain  kind  of  talent,  is  seldom  aided  by  any  such 
foreign  suggestions:  his  own  brain  is  the  best  'ar 
chitect." 

"  No  such  thing,"  said  Elizabeth,  looking  pro- 
vokingly  knowing. 

"  No  !  let  me  see — perhaps  he  had  my  name 
put  in  the  bill  for  the  new  turnpike,  as  a  director  ?" 

"  He  might  possibly ;  but  it  is  not  to  such  an 
appointment  that  I  allude." 

"  Such  an  appointment !"  repeated  Mr.  Jones, 
who  began  to  fidget  with  curiosity ;  "  then,  it  is 
an  appointment.  If  it  is  in  the  militia,  I  won't 
take  it." 

"  No,  no,  it  is  not  in  the  militia,"  cried  Eliza 
beth,  showing  the  packet  in  her  hand,  and  then 
drawing  it  back,  with  a  coquettish  air  ;  "  it  is  an 
office  of  both  honour  and  emolument." 

"Honour  and  emolument !"  echoed  Richard,  in 
painful  suspense  ;  "  show  me  the  paper,  girl.  Say, 
is  it  an  office  where  there  is  any  thing  to  do  ?" 

"  You  have  hit  it,  cousin  Dickon  ;  it  is  the  ex 
ecutive  office  of  the  county ;  at  least  so  said  my 
father,  when  he  gave  me  this  packet  to  offer  you 
as  a  Christmas-box. — "  Surely,  if  any  thing  will 


236  THE   PIONEERS. 

please  Dickon,'  he  said, '  it  will  be  to  fill  the  ex 
ecutive  chair  of  the  county.' " 

"  Executive  chair !  what  nonsense !"  cried  the 
impatient  gentleman,  snatching  the  packet  from  hei 
hand  ;  "  there  is  no  such  office  in  the  county.  Eh  ! 
what  !  it  is,  I  declare,  a  commission,  appointing 
Richard  Jones,  Esquire,  Sheriff  of  the  county. 
Well,  this  is  kind  in  'duke,  positively.  I  must  say 
Muke  has  a  warm  heart,  and  never  forgets  his 

friends.  Sheriff!  High  Sheriff  of !  It  sounds 

well,  Bess,  but  it  shall  execute  better.  'Duke  is 
a  judicious  man,  after  all,  and  knows  human  nature 
thoroughly.  I'm  much  obliged  to  him,"  continued 
Richard,  using  the  skirt  of  his  coat,  unconsciously, 
to  wipe  his  eyes  ;  "  though  I  would  do  as  much  for 
him  any  day,  as  he  shall  see,  if  I  have  an  oppor 
tunity  to  perform  any  of  the  duties  of  my  office 
on  him.  It  shall  be  done,  cousin  Bess — it  shall  be 
done  I  say. — How  this  cursed  south  wind  makes 
my  eyes  water." 

"  Now,  Richard,"  said  the  laughing  maiden ; 
"  now  I  think  you  will  find  something  to  do.  I 
have  often  heard  you  complain  of  old,  that  there 
was  nothing  to  do  in  this  new  country,  while  to 
my  eyes  it  seemed  as  if  every  thing  remained  to 
be  done." 

"  Do  !"  echoed  Richard,  who  blew  his  nose, 
raised  his  little  form  to  its  greatest  elevation,  and 
looked  prodigiously  serious.  "  Every  thing  de 
pends  on  system,  my  girl.  I  shall  sit  down  this 
afternoon,  and  systematize  the  county.  I  must 
have  deputies,  you  know.  I  will  divide  the  coun 
ty  into  districts,  over  which  I  will  place  my  depu 
ties  ;  and  I  will  have  one  for  the  village,  which  I 
will  call  my  home  department.  Let  me  see — • 
oh !  Benjamin !  yes,  Benjamin  will  make  a  good 
deputy ;  he  has  been  naturalized,  and  would  an- 


THE    PIONEERS.  237 

Bwer  admirably,  if  he  could  only  ride  on  horse 
back." 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Sheriff,"  said  his  companion,  C<L:  and 
as  he  understands  ropes  so  well,  he  would  be  very 
expert,  should  occasion  happen  for  his  services,  in 
the  way  of  Jack  Ketch." 

"  No,"  interrupted  the  other,  "  I  flatter  myself 

that  no  one  could  hang  a  man  better  than that 

is — ha — oh  !  yes,  Benjamin  would  do  extremely 
well,  in  such  an  unfortunate  dilemma,  if  he  could 
be  persuaded  to  attempt  it.  But  I  should  despair 
of  the  thing.  I  never  could  induce  him  to  hang, 
or  teach  him  to  ride  on  horseback.  I  must  seek 
another  deputy." 

"  Well,  sir,  as  you  have  abundant  leisure  for 
all  these  important  affairs,  I  beg  that  you  will  for 
get  that  you  are  High  Sheriff,  and  devote  some 
little  of  your  time  to  gallantry.  Where  are  the 
beauties  and  improvements  which  you  were  to 
show  me  ?" 

"  Where  ?  why  every  where.  Here  I  have  laid 
out  some  new  streets ;  and  when  they  are  opened, 
and  the  trees  felled,  and  they  are  all  built  up,  will 
they  not  make  a  fine  town  ?  Well,  'duke  is  a  li 
beral-hearted  fellow,  with  all  his  stubbornness. — 
Yes,  yes,  I  must  have  at  least  four  deputies,  be 
sides  a  jailer." 

"  I  see  no  streets  in  the  direction  of  our  walk," 
said  Elizabeth,  "  unless  you  call  the  short  ave 
nues  through  these  pine  bushes  by  that  name. 
Surely  you  do  not  contemplate  building  houses, 
very  soon,  in  that  forest  before  us,  and  in  those 
swamps." 

"  We  must  run  our  streets  by  the  compass,  coz, 
and  disregard  trees,  hills,  ponds,  stumps,  or,  in 
fact,  any  thing  but  posterity.  Such  is  the  will  of 
your  father,  and  your  father,  you  know" — 


238  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Had  you  made  Sheriff,  Mr.  Jones,"  interrupt 
ed  the  lady,  with  a  tone  which  said  very  plainly  to 
the  gentleman,  that  he  was  touching  a  forbidden 
subject. 

"  I  know  it,  I  know  it,"  cried  Richard  ;  "  and 
if  it  were  in  my  power,  I'd  make  'duke  a  king. 
He  is  a  noble-hearted  fellow,  and  would  make  an 
excellent  king  ;  that  is,  if  he  had  a  good  prime  mi 
nister. — But  who  have  we  here  ?  voices  in  the 
bushes ; — a  combination  about  mischief,  I'll  wager 
my  commission.  Let'us  draw  near,  and  examine 
a  little  into  the  matter." 

During  this  dialogue,  as  the  parties  had  kept  in 
motion,  Richard  and  his  cousin  advanced  some  dis 
tance  from  the  house,  into  the  open  space  in  the 
rear  of  the  village,  where,  as  may  be  gathered  from 
the  conversation,  streets  were  planned,  and  future 
dwellings  contemplated  ;  but  where,  in  truth,  the 
only  mark  of  improvement  that  was  to  be  seen, 
was  a  neglected  clearing  along  the  skirt  of  a  dark 
forest  of  mighty  pines,  over  which  the  bushes  or 
sprouts  of  the  same  tree  had  sprung  up,  to  a  height 
that  interspersed  the  fields  of  snow  with  little 
thickets  of  evergreen.  The  rushing  of  the  wind, 
as  it  whistled  through  the  tops  of  these  mimic  trees, 
prevented  the  footsteps  of  the  pair  from  being 
heard,  while  their  branches  concealed  their  per 
sons.  Thus  aided,  the  listeners  drew  nigh  to  a 
spot,  where  the  young  hunter,  Leather-stocking, 
and  the  Indian  chief,  were  collected  in  an  earnest 
consultation.  The  former  was  urgent  in  his  man 
ner,  and  seemed  to  think  the  subject  of  deep  im 
portance,  while  Natty  appeared  to  listen,  with  more 
than  his  usual  attention,  to  what  the  other  was 
saying.  Mohegan  stood  a  little  on  one  side,  with 
his  head  sunken  on  his  chest,  his  hair  falling  for 
ward,  so  as  to  conceal  most  of  his  features,  and 


THE    PIONEERS.  239 

his  whole  attitude  expressive  of  deep  dejection,  if 
not  of  shame. 

"  Let  us  withdraw,"  whispered  Elizabeth ;  "  we 
are  intruders,  and  can  have  no  right  to  listen  to  the 
secrets  of  these  men." 

"  No  right !"  returned  Richard,  a  little  impa 
tiently,  in  the  same  tone,  and  drawing  her  arm  so 
forcibly  through  his  own  as  to  prevent  her  retreat ; 
"  you  forget,  cousin,  that  it  is  my  duty  to  preserve 
the  peace  of  the  county,  and  see  the  laws  executed. 
These  wanderers  frequently  commit  depredations ; 
though  I  do  not  think  John  would  do  any  thing  se 
cretly.  Poor  fellow  !  he  was  quite  boozy  last 
night,  and  hardly  seems  to  be  over  it  yet.  Let  us 
draw  nigher,  and  hear  what  they  say." 

Notwithstanding  the  lady's  reluctance,  Richard, 
stimulated  doubtless  by  his  nice  sense  of  duty,  pre 
vailed  ;  and  they  were  soon  so  near  as  distinctly  to 
hear  sounds. 

"  The  bird  must  be  had,"  said  Natty,  "  by  fair 
means  or  foul.  Heigho  !  I've  known  the  time,  lad, 
when  the  wild  turkeys  wasn't  over  scarce  in  the 
country  ;  though  you  must  go  into  the  Virginy 
gaps,  if  you  want  them  for  the  feathers.  To  be 
sure,  there  is  a  different  taste  to  a  partridge,  and  a 
well-fattened  turkey ;  though,  to  my  eating,  bea 
ver's  tail  and  bear's  hams  makes  the  best  of  food. 
But  then  every  one  has  his  own  appetite.  I  gave 
the  last  farthing,  all  to  that  shilling,  to  the  French 
trader,  this  very  morning,  as  I  came  through  the 
town,  for  powder;  so,  as  you  have  nothing,  we  can 
have  but  one  shot  for  it.  I  know  that  Billy  Kirby 
is  out,  and  means  to  have  a  pull  of  the  trigger  at 
that  very  turkey.  John  has  a  true  eye  for  a  single 
fire,  and  somehow,  my  hand  shakes  so,  whenever 
I  have  to  do  any  thing  extrawnary,  that  I  often  lose 
my  aim.  N0w,  when  I  killed  the  she-bear  this  fall. 


240  THE    PIONEERS. 

with  her  cubs,  though  they  were  so  mighty  raven 
ous,  I  knocked  them  over  one  at  a  shot,  and  loaded 
while  I  dodged  the  trees  in  the  bargain;  but  this  is 
a  very  different  thing,  Mr.  Oliver." 

"  This,"  cried  the  young  man  with  an  accent 
that  sounded  as  if  he  took  a  bitter  pleasure  in  his 
poverty,  while  he  held  a  shilling  up  before  his  eyes 
— "  this  is  all  the  treasure  that  I  possess — this  and 
my  rifle  !  Now,  indeed,  I  have  become  a  man  of 
the  woods,  and  must  place  my  sole  dependence  on 
the  chase.  Come,  Natty,  let  us  stake  the  last 
penny  for  the  bird ;  with  your  aim,  it  cannot  fail  to 
be  successful." 

"  I  would  rather  it  should  be  John,  lad;  my  heart 
jumps  into  my  mouth,  because  you  set  your  mind 
so  much  on't ;  and  Pm  sartain  that  I  shall  miss  the 
bird.  Them  Indians  can  shoot  one  time  as  well  as 
another ;  nothing  ever  troubles  them.  I  say,  John, 
here's  a  shilling ;  take  my  rifle,  and  get  a  shot  at 
the  big  turkey  they've  put  up  at  the  stump.  Mr. 
Oliver  is  over  anxious  for  the  creater,  and  I'm  sure 
to  do  nothing  when  I  have  over  anxiety  about  it." 

The  Indian  turned  his  head  gloomily,  and,  after 
looking  keenly  for  a  moment,  in  profound  silence, 
at  his  companions,  he  replied — 

"  When  John  was  young,  eyesight  was  not 
straighter  than  his  bullet.  The  Mingo  squaws 
cried  out  at  the  sound  of  his  rifle.  The  Mingo 
warriors  were  made  squaws.  When  did  he  ever 
shoot  twice  !  The  eagle  went  above  the  clouds, 
when  he  passed  the  wigwam  of  Chingachgook;  his 
feathers  were  plenty  with  the  women. — But  see," 
he  said,  raising  his  voice,  from  the  low,  mournful 
tones  in  which  he  had  spoken,  to  a  pitch  of  keen 
excitement,  and  stretching  forth  both  hands — "  they 
shake  like  a  deer  at  the  wolf's  howl.  Is  John  old  ? 
When  was  a  Mohican  a  squaw,  with  seventy  win- 


THE    PIONEERS.  241 

ters !  No !  the  white  man  brings  old  age  with 
him — rum  is  his  tomahawk !" 

"  Why  then  do  you  use  it,  old  man?"  exclaimed 
the  young  hunter ;  "  why  will  one,  so  noble  by  na 
ture,  aid  the  devices  of  the  devil,  by  making  him 
self  a  beast !" 

"  Beast !  is  John  a  beast  ?"  replied  the  Indian, 
slowly ;  "  yes ;  you  say  no  lie,  child  of  the  Fire- 
eater  !  John  is  a  beast.  The  smokes  were  once 
few  in  these  hills.  The  deer  would  lick  the  hand 
of  a  white  man,  and  the  birds  rest  on  his  head. 
They  were  strangers  to  him.  My  fathers  came 
from  the  shores  of  the  salt  lake.  They  fled  before 
rum.  They  came  to  their  grandfather,  and  they 
lived  in  peace ;  or,  when  they  did  raise  the  hatchet, 
it  was  to  strike  it  into  the  brain  of  a  Mingo.  They 
gathered  around  the  council-sfire,  and  what  they  said 
was  done.  Then  John  was  a  man.  But  warriors 
and  traders  with  light  eyes  followed  them.  One 
brought  the  long  knife,  and  one  brought  rum. 
They  were  more  than  the  pines  on  the  mountains ; 
and  they  broke  up  the  councils,  and  took  the  lands. 
The  evil  spirit  was  in  their  jugs,  and  they  let  him 
loose. — Yes,  yes — you  say  no  lie,  Young  Eagle  ; 
John  is  a  beast." 

"  Forgive  me,  old  warrior,"  cried  the  youth, 
grasping  his  hand ;  "  I  should  be  the  last  to  reproach 
you.  The  curses  of  heaven  light  on  the  cupidity 
that  has  destroyed  such  a  race.  Remember,  John, 
that  I  am  of  your  family,  and  it  is  now  my  greatest 
pride." 

The  muscles  of  Mohegan  relaxed  a  little,  and  he 
said  more  mildly — 

"  You  are  a  Delaware,  my  son ;  your  words  are 
not  heard. — John  cannot  shoot." 

"  I  thought  that  lad  had  Indian  blood  in  him," 
whispered  Richard,  "  by  the  awkward  way  he  han- 
21 


242  THE    PIONEERS. 

died  my  horses  last  night.  You  see,  coz,  they 
never  use  harness.  But  the  poor  fellow  shall  have 
two  shots  at  the  turkey,  if  he  wants  it,  for  I'll  give 
him  another  shilling  myself;  though,  perhaps,  I 
had  better  offer  to  shoot  for  him.  They  have  got 
up  their  Christmas  sports,  I  find,  in  the  bushes 
yonder,  where  you  hear  the  laughter ; — though  it 
is  a  queer  taste  this  chap  has  for  turkey  ;  not  but 
what  it  is  good  eating  too." 

"  Hold,  cousin  Richard,"  exclaimed  Elizabeth, 
clinging  to  his  arm, "  would  it  be  delicate  to  offer 
a  shilling  to  that  gentleman  ?" 

"  Gentleman  again !  do  you  think  a  half-breed, 
like  him,  will  refuse  money  ?  No,  no,  girl ;  he  will 
take  the  shilling  ;  ay  !  and  even  rum  too,  notwith 
standing  he  moralizes  so  much  about  it. — But  I'll 
give  the  lad  a  chance  for  his  turkey,  for  that  Billy 
Kirby  is  one  of  the  best  marksmen  in  the  country ; 
that  is,  if  we  except  the — the  gentleman." 

"  Then,"  said  Elizabeth,  who  found  her  strength 
unequal  to  her  will,  "  then,  sir,  I  will  speak." — 
She  advanced,  with  an  air  of  proud  determination, 
in  front  of  her  cousin,  and  entered  the  little  circle 
of  bushes  that  surrounded  the  trio  of  hunters. 
Her  appearance  startled  the  youth,  who  at  first 
made  an  unequivocal  motion  towards  retiring,  but, 
recollecting  himself,  bowed,  by  lifting  his  cap,  and 
resumed  his  attitude  of  leaning  on  his  rifle.  Nei 
ther  Natty  nor  Mohegan  betrayed  any  emotion, 
though  the  appearance  of  Elizabeth  was  so  entirely 
unexpected. 

"  I  find,"  she  said,  "  that  the  old  Christmas  sport 
of  shooting  the  turkey  is  yet  in  use  among  you. — 
I  feel  inclined  to  try  my  chance  for  a  bird.  Whith 
of  you  will  take  this  money,  and,  after  paying  my 
foe,  give  me  the  aid  of  his  rifle?" 

"  Is  this  a  sport  for  a  lady  !"  exclaimed   the 


THE   PIONEERS 

young  hunter,  with  an  emphasis  that  could  not 
well  be  mistaken,  and  with  a  rapidity  that  show 
ed  he  spoke  without  consulting  any  thing  but 
feeling. 

"  Why  not,  sir  ?"  returned  the  maiden.  "  If  it 
be  inhuman,  the  sin  is  not  confined  to  one  sex  only. 
But  I  have  my  humour  as  well  as  others.  I  ask 
not  your  assistance,  sir ;  but" — turning  to  Natty, 
and  dropping  a  dollar  in  his  hand — "  this  old  vete 
ran  of  the  forest  will  not  be  so  ungallant,  as  to  re 
fuse  one  fire  for  a  lady." 

Leather-stocking  dropped  the  money  into  his 
pouch,  and  throwing  up  the  end  of  his  rifle,  he 
freshened  his  priming ;  and,  first  laughing  in  his 
usual  manner,  he  threw  the  piece  over  his  shoul 
der,  and  said — 

"  If  Billy  Kirby  don't  get  the  bird  before  me, 
and  the  Frenchman's  powder  don't  hang  fire  this 
damp  morning,  you'll  see  as  fine  a  turkey  dead, 
in  a  few  minutes,  as  ever  was  eaten  in  the  Judge's 
shanty.  I  have  know'd  the  Dutch  women,  on  the 
Mohawk  and  Scoharie,  count  greatly  on  coming  to 
them  merry-makings ;  and  so,  lad,  you  shouldn't 
be  short  with  the  lady.  Come,  let  us  go  forward, 
for  if  we  wait,  the  finest  bird  will  be  gone." 

"  But  I  have  a  right  before  you,  Natty,  and 
shall  try  my  own  luck  first.  You  will  excuse  me, 
Miss  Temple ;  I  have  much  reason  to  wish  that 
bird,  and  may  seem  ungallant,  but  I  must  claim  my 
privileges." 

"  Claim  any  thing  that  is  justly  your  own,  sir," 
returned  the  lady  ;  "  we  are  both  adventurers, 
and  this  is  my  knight.  I  trust  my  fortune  to  his 
hand  and  eye.  Lead  on,  Sir  Leather-stocking,  and 
we  will  follow." 

Natty,  who  seemed  pleased  with  the  frank  ad 
dress  of  the  young  and  beauteous  maiden,  who 


244  THE   PIONEERS. 

had  so  singularly  intrusted  him  with  such  a  com 
mission,  returned  the  bright  smile  with  which  she 
had  addressed  him,  by  his  own  peculiar  mark  of 
mirth,  and  moved  across  the  snow,  towards  the 
spot  whence  the  sounds  of  boisterous  mirth  pro 
ceeded,  with  the  long  strides  of  a  hunter.  His 
companions  followed  in  silence,  the  youth  casting 
frequent  and  uneasy  glances  towards  Elizabeth, 
who  was  detained  by  a  motion  from  Richard. 

"  I  should  think,  Miss  Temple,"  he  said,  so  soon 
as  the  others  were  out  of  hearing,  "  that  if  you 
really  wished  a  turkey,  you  would  not  have  taken 
a  stranger  for  the  office,  and  such  a  one  as  Lea 
ther-stocking.  But  I  can  hardly  believe  that  you 
are  serious,  for  I  have  fifty  at  this  moment  shut  up 
in  the  coops,  in  every  stage  of  fat,  so  that  you 
might  choose  any  quality  you  pleased.  There 
are  six  that  I  am  trying  an  experiment  on,  by  giv 
ing  them  brick-bats  with " 

"  Enough,  cousin  Dickon,"  interrupted  the  la 
dy ;  "I  do  wish  the  bird,  and  it  is  because  I  so 
wish,  that  I  commissioned  this  Mr.  Leather-stock 
ing." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  great  shot  that  I 
made  at  the  wolf,  cousin  Elizabeth,  who  was  car 
rying  off  your  father's  sheep  ?"  said  Richard,  draw 
ing  himself  up  into  an  air  of  displeasure.  "  He 
had  the  sheep  on  his  back ;  and  had  the  head  of 
the  wolf  been  on  the  other  side,  I  should  have  kill 
ed  him  dead  ;  as  it  was" 

"  You  killed  the  sheep,"  again  interrupted  the 
young  lady — "  T  know  it  all,  my  dear  coz.  But 
would  it  have  been  decorous,  for  the  High  Sheriff 
of to  mingle  in  such  sports  as  these  ?" 

"  Surely  you  did  not  think  I  intended  actually 
to  fire  with  my  own  hands  ?"  said  Mr.  Jones. — - 
"  But  let  us  follow,  and  see  the  shooting.  There 


THE    PIONEERS.  245 

is  no  fear  of  any  thing  unpleasant  occurring  to  any 
female  in  this  new  country,  especially  to  your 
father's  daughter,  and  in  my  presence." 

"  My  father's  daughter  fears  nothing,  sir,"  re 
turned  Elizabeth;  "more  especially  when  escorted 
by  the  highest  executive  officer  in  the  county." 

She  took  his  arm,  and  he  led  her  through  the 
mazes  of  the  bushes,  to  the  spot  where  most  of  the 
young  men  of  the  village  were  collected  for  the 
sports  of  shooting  a  Christmas  match,  and  whither 
Natty  and  his  companions  had  already  preceded 
them. 

31* 


CHAPTER  XVII 


w  I  guess,  by  all  this  quaint  array, 
The  b  irghers  hold  their  sports  to  day. 

Scott. 


THE  ancient  amusement  of  shooting  the  Christ 
mas  turkey,  is  one  of  the  few  sports  that  the  set 
tlers  of  a  new  country  seldom  or  never  neglect  to 
observe.  It  was  connected  with  the  daily  practices 
of  a  people,  who  often  laid  aside  the  axe  or  the 
sithe  to  seize  the  rifle,  as  the  deer  glided  through 
the  forests  they  were  felling,  or  the  bear  entered 
their  rough  meadows  to  scent  the  air  of  a  clearing, 
and  to  scan,  with  a  look  of  sagacity,  the  progress 
of  the  invader. 

On  the  present  occasion,  the  usual  amusement 
of  the  day  had  been  a  little  hastened,  in  order  to 
allow  a  fair  opportunity  to  Mr.  Grant,  whose  exhi 
bition  was  not  less  a  treat  to  the  young  sportsmen, 
than  the  one  which  engaged  their  present  atten 
tion.  The  owner  of  the  birds  was  a  free  black, 
who  had  been  preparing  for  the  occasion  a  collec 
tion  of  game,  that  was  admirably  qualified  to  in 
flame  the  appetite  of  an  epicure,  and  was  well 
adapted  to  the  means  and  skill  of  the  different  com 
petitors,  who  were  of  all  ages.  He  had  offered  to 
the  younger  and  more  humble  marksmen  divers 
birds  of  an  inferior  quality,  and  some  shooting  had 


THE    PIONEERS.  247 

already  taken  place,  much  to  the  pecuniary  advan 
tage  of  the  sable  owner  of  the  game.  The  order 
of  the  sports  was  extremely  simple,  and  well  un 
derstood.  The  bird  was  fastened  by  a  string  of 
tow,  to  the  base  of  the  stump  of  a  large  pine,  the 
side  of  which,  towards  the  point  where  the  marks 
men  were  placed,  had  been  flattened  with  an  axe, 
in  order  that  it  might  serve  the  purpose  of  a  target, 
by  which  the  merit  of  each  individual  might  be  as 
certained.  The  distance  between  the  stump  and 
this  point  was  one  hundred  measured  yards :  a  foot 
more  or  a  foot  less  being  thought  an  invasion  of  the 
right  of  one  of  the  parties.  The  negro  affixed  his 
own  price  to  every  bird,  and  the  terms  of  the  chance : 
but  when  these  were  once  established,  he  was 
obliged,  by  the  strict  principles  of  public  justice 
that  prevailed  in  the  country,  to  admit  any  adven 
turer  who  might  offer. 

The  throng  consisted  of  some  twenty  or  thirty 
young  men,  most  of  whom  had  rifles,  and  a  collec 
tion  of  all  the  boys  in  the  village.  The  little  ur 
chins,  clad  in  coarse  but  warm  garments,  stood 
gathered  around  the  more  distinguished  marksmen, 
with  their  hands  stuck  under  their  waistbands,  lis 
tening  eagerly  to  the  boastful  stories  of  the  skill 
that  had  been  exhibited  on  former  occasions,  and 
were  already  emulating  in  their  hearts  these  won 
derful  deeds  in  gunnery. 

The  chief  speaker  was  the  man  who  had  been 
mentioned  by  Natty,  as  Billy  Kirby.  This  fellow, 
whose  occupation,  when  he  did  labour,  was  that  of 
clearing  lands,  or  chopping  jobs,  was  of  great  sta 
ture,  and  carried,  in  his  very  air,  the  index  of  his 
character.  He  was  a  noisy,  boisterous,  reckless 
lad,  whose  good-natured  eye  contradicted  the  blunt- 
ness  and  bullying  tenor  of  his  speech.  For  weeks 
he  would  lounge  around  the  taverns  of  the  county, 


248  THE    PIONEERS. 

in  a  state  of  perfect  idleness,  or  doing  small  jobs 
for  his  liquor  and  his  meals,  and  cavilling  with  ap 
plicants  about  the  prices  of  his  labour :  frequently 
preferring  idleness  to  an  abatement  of  a  tittle  of 
his  independence,  or  a  cent  in  his  wages.  But 
when  these  embarrassing  points  were  once  satisfac 
torily  arranged,  he  would  shoulder  his  axe  and  his 
rifle,  slip  his  arms  through  the  straps  of  his  pack, 
and  enter  the  woods  with  the  tread  of  a  Hercules. 
His  first  object  was  to  learn  his  limits,  round  which 
he  would  pace,  occasionally  freshening,  with  a  blow 
of  his  axe,  the  marks  on  the  boundary  trees;  and 
then  he  would  proceed,  with  an  air  of  great  de 
liberation,  to  the  centre  of  his  premises,  and, 
throwing  aside  his  superfluous  garments,  he  would 
measure,  with  a  knowing  eye,  one  or  two  of  the 
nearest  trees,  that  were  towering  apparently  into  the 
very  clouds,  as  he  gazed  upwards.  Commonly  se 
lecting  one  of  the  most  noble,  for  the  first  trial  of 
his  power,  he  would  approach  it  with  a  listless 
air,  whistling  a  low  tune ;  and  wielding  his  axe, 
with  a  certain  flourish,  not  unlike  the  salutes  of  a 
fencing  master,  he  would  strike  a  light  blow  into 
the  bark,  and  measure  his  distance.  The  pause 
that  followed  was  ominous  of  the  fall  of  the  forest, 
that  had  flourished  there  for  centuries.  The  heavy 
and  brisk  blows  that  he  struck  were  soon  succeeded 
by  the  thundering  report  of  the  tree,  as  it  came, 
first  cracking  and  threatening,  with  the  separation 
of  its  own  last  ligaments,  then  thrashing  and  tear 
ing  with  its  branches  the  tops  of  its  surrounding 
brethren,  and  finally  meeting  the  ground  with  a 
shock  but  little  inferior  to  an  earthquake.  From 
that  moment  the  sounds  of  the  axe  would  be  cease 
less,  while  the  falling  of  the  trees  was  like  a  dis 
tant  cannonading ;  and  the  daylight  broke  into  the 


THE    PIONEERS. 

depths  of  the  woods  with  almost  the  suddenness 
of  a  winter  morning. 

For  days,  weeks,  nay,  months,  Billy  Kirby  would 
toil,  with  an  ardour  that  evinced  his  native  spirit, 
and  with  an  effect  that  seemed  magical,  until,  his 
chopping  being  ended,  his  stentorian  lungs  could 
oe  heard  emitting  sounds,  as  he  called  to  his  patient 
oxen,  the  assistants  in  his  labour,  which  rung 
through  the  hills  like  the  cries  of  an  alarm.  He 
had  been:  often  heard,  on  a  mild  summer's  evening, 
a  long  mile  across  the  vale  of  Templeton ;  when 
the  echoes  from  the  mountains  would  take  up  his 
cries,  until  they  died  away  in  the  feeble  sounds 
from  the  distant  rocks  that  overhung  the  lake. 
His  piles,  or,  to  use  the  language  of  the  country, 
his  logging,  ended,  with  a  despatch  that  could  only 
accompany  his  dexterity  and  Herculean  strength, 
the  jobber  would  collect  together  his  implements 
of  labour,  light  the  heaps  of  timber,  and  march 
away,  under  the  blaze  of  the  prostrate  forest,  like 
the  conqueror  of  some  city,  who,  having  first  pre 
vailed  over  his  adversary,  places  the  final  torch  of 
destruction,  as  the  finishing  blow  to  his  conquest. 
For  a  long  time  Billy  Kirby  would  then  be  seen, 
sauntering  around  the  taverns,  the  rider  of  scrub- 
races,  the  bully  of  cock-fights,  and  not  unfrequently 
the  hero  of  such  sports  as  the  one  in  hand. 

Between  him  and  the  Leather-stocking  there 
had  long  existed  a  jealous  rivalry,  on  the  point  of 
their  respective  skill  in  shooting.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  long  practice  of  Natty,  it  was  commonlj 
supposed  that  the  steady  nerves  and  quick  eye  of 
the  wood-chopper  rendered  him  his  equal.  Theii 
competition  had,  however,  been  confined  hitherto 
to  boastings,  and  comparisons  made  from  their  suc 
cesses  in  their  various  hunting  excursions ;  but  this 
was  the  first  time  that  they  had  ever  come  in  open 


250  THE    PIONEERS. 

collision.  A  good  deal  of  higgling  about  the  price 
of  the  choicest  bird,  had  taken  place  between  Billy 
Kirby  and  its  owner,  before  Natty  and  his  compa 
nions  rejoined  the  sportsmen.  It  had,  however, 
been  settled  at  one  shilling  a  shot,  which  was  the 
highest  sum  ever  exacted,  the  black  taking  care  to 
protect  himself  from  losses,  as  much  as  possible, 
by  the  conditions  of  the  sport.  The  turkey  was 
already  fastened  at  the  "  mark,"  but  its  body  was 
entirely  hid  by  the  surrounding  snow,  nothing  being 
visible  but  its  red  swelling  head,  and  long  proud 
neck.  If  the  bird  was  injured  by  any  bullet  that 
struck  below  the  snow,  it  was  still  to  continue  the 
property  of  its  present  owner,  but  if  a  feather  was 
touched  in  a  visible  part,  the  animal  became  the 
prize  of  the  successful  adventurer. 

These  terms  were  loudly  proclaimed  from  the 
mouth  of  the  negro,  who  was  seated  in  the  snow, 
in  a  somewhat  hazardous  vicinity  to  his  favourite 
bird,  as  Elizabeth  and  her  cousin,  the  newly  ap 
pointed  executive  chief  of  the  county,  approached 
the  noisy  sportsmen.  The  sounds  of  mirth  and 
contention  sensibly  lowered  at  this  unexpected 
visit;  but,  after  a  moment's  pause,  the  curious 
interest  exhibited  in  the  face  of  the  young  lady, 
together  with  her  smiling  air,  restored  the  freedom 
of  the  morning ;  though  it  was  somewhat  chastened, 
both  in  language  and  vehemence,  by  the  presence 
of  such  a  spectator  to  their  proceedings. 

"  Stand  out  of  the  way  there,  boys !"  cried  the 
wood-chopper,  who  was  placing  himself  at  the 
shooting  point—"  stand  out  of  the  way,  you  little 
rascals,  or  I  will  shoot  through  you.  Now,  Brom, 
you  may  say  good-by  to  that  turkey." 

"  Stop  !"  cried  the  young  hunter ;  "  I  am  a  can 
didate  for  a  chance  too.  Here  is  my  shilling,  Brom ; 
I  wish  a  shot  too." 


THE    PIONEERS.  251 

"  You  may  wish  it  in  welcome,"  cried  Kirby, 
"  but  if  I  ruffle  the  gobbler's  feathers,  how  are  you 
to  get  it  ?  Is  money  so  plenty  in  your  deer-skin 
pocket,  that  you  pay  for  a  chance  that  you  may 
never  have  ?" 

"  How  know  you,  sir,  how  plenty  money  is  in 
my  pocket  ?"  said  the  youth,  fiercely.  "  Here  is 
my  shilling,  Brom,  and  I  claim  a  right  to  shoot." 

"  Don't  be  crabbed,  my  boy,"  said  the  other, 
who  was  very  coolly  fixing  his  flint.  "  They  say 
you  have  a  hole  in  your  left  shoulder,  yourself :  so 
I  think  Brom  may  give  you  a  fire  for  half  price. 
It  will  take  a  keen  one  to  hit  that  bird,  I  can  tell 
you,  my  lad,  even  if  I  give  you  a  chance,  which  is 
a  thing  I  have  no  mind  to  do." 

"  Don't  be  boasting,  Billy  Kirby,"  said  Natty, 
throwing  the  breech  of  his  rifle  into  the  snow,  and 
leaning  on  its  barrel ;  "  you'll  get  but  one  shot  at 
the  creater,  for  if  the  lad  misses  his  aim,  which 
wouldn't  be  a  wonder  if  he  did,  with  his  arm  so 
stiff  and  sore,  you'll  find  a  good  piece  and  an  old 
eye  coming  a'ter  you.  Maybe  it's  true  that  I  can't 
shoot  as  I  used  to  could,  but  a  hundred  yards  is  but 
a  short  distance  for  a  long  rifle." 

"  What,  old  Leather-stocking,  are  you  out  this 
morning,"  cried  his  reckless  opponent.  "  Well, 
fair  play's  a  jewel.  But  I've  the  lead  of  you,  old 
fellow ;  so  here  goes,  for  a  dry  throat  or  a  good 
dinner-" 

The  countenance  of  the  negro  evinced  not  only 
all  the  interest  which  his  pecuniary  adventure 
might  occasion,  but  also  the  keen  excitement  that 
the  sport  produced  in  the  others,  though  with  a 
very  different  wish  as  to  the  result.  While  the 
wood-chopper  was  slowly  and  steadily  raising  his 
rifle,  he  exclaimed — 

"  Fair  play,  Billy  Kirby — stand  back — make  'em 


252  THE    PIONEERS. 

stand  back,  boys — gib  a  nigger  fair  play — poss-up- 
gobbler  ;  shake  a  head,  fool ;  don't  a  see  'em  pokin 
gun  at  'em  ?" 

These  cries,  which  were  intended  as  much  to 
distract  the  attention  of  the  marksman,  as  for  any 
thing  else,  were,  however,  fruitless.  The  nerves 
of  the  wood-chopper  were  not  so  easily  shaken, 
and  he  took  his  aim  with  the  utmost  deliberation. 
The  dead  stillness  of  expectation  prevailed  for  a 
moment,  and  he  fired.  The  head  of  the  turkey 
was  seen  to  dash  on  one  side,  and  its  wings  were 
spread  in  momentary  fluttering ;  but  it  settled  it 
self  down,  calmly,  into  its  bed  of  snow,  and  glanced 
its  eyes  uneasily  around.  For  a  time  long  enough 
to  draw  a  deep  breath,  not  a  sound  was  heard. 
The  silence  was  then  broken,  by  the  noise  of  the 
negro,  who  laughed,  and  shook  his  body,  with  all 
kinds  of  antics,  rolling  over  in  the  snow  with  the 
excess  of  his  delight. 

"  Well  done  a  gobbler,"  he  cried,  jumping  up, 
and  affecting  to  embrace  his  bird ;  "  I  tell  'em  to 
poss-up,  and  you  see  'em  dodge.  Gib  anoder  shil- 
lin,  Billy,  and  hab  anoder  shot." 

"  No — the  shot  is  mine,"  said  the  young  hunter  j 
"  you  have  my  money  already.  Leave  the  mark, 
and  let  me  try  my  luck." 

"  Ah !  it's  but  money  thrown  away,  lad,"  said 
Leather-stocking.  "  A  turkey's  head  and  neck  is 
but  a  small  mark  for  a  new  hand  and  a  lame  shoul 
der.  You'd  best  let  me  take  the  fire,  and  maybe 
we  can  make  some  sittlement  with  the  lady  about 
the  bird." 

"  The  chance  is  mine,"  said  the  young  hunter. 
"  Clear  the  ground,  that  I  may  take  it." 

The  discussions  and  disputes  concerning  the  last 
shot  were  now  abating,  it  having  been  determined, 
that  if  the  turkey's  head  had  been  any  where  but 


THE   PIONEERS.  253 

just  where  it  was  at  the  moment,  the  bird  must 
certainly  have  been  killed.  There  was  not  much 
excitement  produced  by  the  preparations  of  the 
youth,  who  proceeded  in  a  hurried  manner  to  take 
his  aim,  and  was  in  the  act  of  pulling  the  trigger, 
when  he  was  stopped  by  Natty. 

"  Your  hand  shakes,  lad,"  he  said,  "  and  you 
seem  over  eager.  Bullet  wownds  are  apt  to  weak 
en  the  flesh,  and,  to  my  judgment,  you'll  not  shoot 
so  well  as  in  common.  If  you  will  fire,  you  should 
shoot  quick,  before  there  is  time  to  shake  off  the 
aim." 

"  Fair  play,"  again  shouted  the  negro  ;  "  fair 
play — gib  a  nigger  fair  play.  What  right  a  Nat- 
Bumppo  tell  a  young  man  ?  Let  'em  shoot — clear 
a  ground." 

The  youth  fired  with  great  rapidity ;  but  no  mo 
tion  was  made  by  the  turkey  ;  and  when  the  exa 
miners  for  the  ball  returned  from  the  "  mark,"  they 
declared  that  he  had  missed  the  stump. 

Elizabeth  observed  the  change  in  his  counte 
nance,  and  could  not  help  feeling  surprise,  that  one 
so  evidently  superior  to  his  companions,  should 
feel  a  trifling  loss  so  sensibly.  But  her  own  cham 
pion  was  now  preparing  to  enter  the  lists. 

The  mirth  of  Brom,  which  had  been  again  ex 
cited,  though  in  a  much  smaller  degree  than  be 
fore,  by  the  failure  of  the  second  adventurer,  va 
nished,  the  instant  that  Natty  took  his  stand.  His 
skin  became  mottled  with  large  brown  spots,  that 
sullied  the  lustre  of  his  native  ebony  most  fearfully, 
while  his  enormous  lips  gradually  compressed 
around  the  two  rows  of  ivory,  that  had  hitherto 
been  shining  in  his  visage,  like  pearls  set  in  jet. 
His  nostrils,  at  all  times  the  most  conspicuous  fea 
tures  of  his  face,  dilated,  until  they  covered  the 
22 


254  THE    PIONEERS. 

greater  part  of  the  diameter  of  his  countenance  ; 
while  his  brown  and  bony  hands  unconsciously 
grasped  the  snow-crust  near  him,  the  excitement 
of  the  moment  completely  overcoming  his  native 
dread  of  cold. 

While  these  indications  of  apprehension  were 
exhibited  in  the  sable  owner  of  the  turkey,  the 
man  who  gave  rise  to  this  extraordinary  emotion 
was  as  calm  and  collected,  as  if  there  was  not  to 
be  a  single  spectator  of  his  skill. 

"  I  was  down  in  the  Dutch  settlements  on  the 
Scoharie,"  said  Natty,  carefully  removing  the 
leather  guard  from  the  lock  of  his  rifle,  "jist  be 
fore  the  breaking  out  of  the  last  war,  and  there 
was  a  shooting-match  among  the  boys ;  so  I  took 
a  hand  in  it  myself.  I  think  I  opened  a  good  many 
Dutch  eyes  that  very  day,  for  I  won  the  powder- 
horn,  three  bars  of  lead,  and  a  pound  of  as  good 
powder  as  ever  flashed  in  the  pan  of  a  gun.  Lord ! 
how  they  did  swear  in  Garman !  They  did  tell 
of  one  drunken  Dutchman,  who  said  he'd  have 
the  life  of  me,  before  I  got  back  to  the  lake  ag'in, 
But  if  he  had  put  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  with 
evil  intent,  God  would  have  punished  him  for  it ; 
and  even  if  the  Lord  didn't,  and  he  had  missed  his 
aim,  I  know  one  that  would  have  given  him  as 
good  as  he  sent,  and  better  too,  if  good  shooting 
could  come  into  the  'count." 

By  this  time .  the  old  hunter  was  ready  for  his 
business,  and  throwing  his  right  leg  far  behind  him, 
and  stretching  his  left  arm  along  the  barrel  of  his 
piece,  he  raised  it  towards  the  bird.  Every  eye 
glanced  rapidly  from  the  marksman  to  the  mark , 
but  at  the  moment  when  each  ear  was  expecting 
the  report  of  the  rifle,  they  were  disappointed  by 
the  ticking  sound  of  the  flint  only. 


THE   PIONEERS.  255 

"A  snap — a  snap,"  shouted  the  negro,  springing 
from  his  crouching  posture,  like  a  madman,  before 
his  bird.  "  A  snap  as  good  as  a  fire — Natty  Buinp- 
po  gun  he  snap — Natty  Bumppo  miss  a  turkey." 

"  Natty  Bumppo  hit  a  nigger,"  said  the  indig 
nant  old  hunter,  "  if  you  don't  get  out  of  the  way, 
Brom.  It's  contrary  to  the  reason  of  the  thing, 
boy,  that  a  snap  should  count  for  a  fire,  when  one 
is  nothing  more  than  a  fire-stone  striking  a  steel 
pan,  and  the  other  is  good  lead,  ay  !  and  with  a 
good  aim  ;  so  get  out  of  my  way,  boy,  and  let  me 
show  Billy  Kirby  how  to  shoot  a  Christmas  tur 
key." 

"  Gib  a  nigger  fair  play  !"  cried  the  black,  who 
continued  resolutely  to  maintain  his  post.  "  Eb- 
bery  body  know  dat  snap  as  good  as  fire.  Leab  it 
to  Massa  Jone — leab  it  to  lady." 

"  Sartain,"  said  the  wood-chopper ;  "  it's  the 
law  of  the  game  in  this  part  of  the  country,  Lea 
ther-stocking.  If  you  fire  ag'in,  you  must  pay  up 
the  other  shilling.  I  b'lieve  I'll  try  luck  once  more 
myself;  so,  Brom,  here's  my  money,  and  I  take 
the  next  fire." 

"  It's  likely  you  know  the  laws  of  the  woods 
better  than  I  do,  Billy  Kirby !"  returned  Natty. 
"  You  come  in  with  the  settlers,  with  an  ox  goad 
in  your  hand,  and  I  come  in  with  moccasins  on  my 
feet,  and  with  a  good  rifle  on  my  shoulder,  so  long 
back  as  afore  the  old  war.  Which  is  likely  to  know 
the  best  ?  I  say,  no  man  need  tell  me  that  snap 
ping  is  as  good  as  firing,  when  I  pull  the  trigger." 

"  Leab  it  to  Massa  Jone,"  said  the  alarmed  ne 
gro  ;  "  he  know  ebbery  ting." 

This  appeal  to  the  knowledge  of  Richard  was 
too  flattering  to  be  unheeded.  He  therefore  ad 
vanced  a  little  from  the  spot  whither  the  delicacy 
of  Elizabeth  had  induced  her  to  withdraw,  and 


256  THE   PIONEERS. 

gave  the  following  opinion,  with  all  the  gravity 
that  the  subject  and  his  own  rank  demanded : — 

cc  There  seems  to  be  a  difference  in  opinion," 
he  said,  "  on  the  subject  of  Nathaniel  Bumppo's 
right  to  shoot  at  Abraham  Freeborn's  turkey,  with 
out  the  said  Nathaniel  paying  one  shilling  for  the 
privilege."  This  fact  was  too  self-evident  to  be 
denied,  and,  after  pausing  a  moment,  that  the  audi 
ence  might  digest  his  premises,  Richard  proceed 
ed  : — "  It  seems  proper  that  I  should  decide  this 
question,  as  I  am  bound  to  preserve  the  peace  of 
the  county ;  and  men  with  deadly  weapons  in  their 
hands  should  not  be  heedlessly  left  to  contention,  and 
their  own  malignant  passions.  It  appears  that  there 
was  no  agreement,  either  in  writing  or  in  words, 
on  the  disputed  point ;  therefore  we  must  reason 
from  analogy,  which  is,  as  it  were,  comparing  one 
thing  with  another.  Now,  in  duels,  where  both 
parties  shoot,  it  is  generally  the  rule  that  a  snap  is 
a  fire  ;  and  if  such  is  the  rule,  where  the  party  has 
a  right  to  fire  back  again,  it  seems  to  me  unreason 
able  to  say,  that  a  man  may  stand  snapping  at  that 
turkey  all  day.  I  therefore  am  of  opinion,  thai 
Nathaniel  Bumppo  has  lost  his  chance,  and  mus< 
pay  another  shilling  before  he  renews  his  right.' 

As  this  opinion  came  from  such  a  high  quarter 
and  was  delivered  with  so  much  effect,  it  silencec 
all  murmurs, — for  the  whole  of  the  spectators  hau 
begun  to  take  sides  with  great  warmth, — excep» 
from  the  Leather-stocking  himself. 

"  I  think  Miss  Elizabeth's  thoughts  should  bt 
taken,"  said  Natty.  "  I've  known  the  squaws  givn 
very  good  counsel,  when  the  Indians  have  been 
dumb  foundered  in  their  notions.  If  she  says  that 
I  ought  to  lose,  I  agree  to  give  it  up." 

"  Then  I  adjudge  you  to  be  a  loser,  for  this  time," 
said  Miss  Temple  ;  "  but  pay  your  money,  and  re* 


THE   PIONEERS.  257 

new  your  chance  ;  unless  Brom  will  sell  me  the 
bird  for  a  dollar.  I  will  give  him  the  money,  and 
save  the  life  of  the  poor  victim." 

This  proposition  was  evidently  but  little  relish-  1 
ed  by  any  of  the  listeners,  even  the  negro  feeling  ' 
unwilling  to  lose  the  sport,  though  he  lost  his  tur 
key.   In  the  mean  while,  as  Billy  Kirby  was  prepar 
ing  himself  for  another  shot,  Natty  left  the  goal, 
with  an  extremely  dissatisfied  manner,  muttering 
to  himself,  and  speaking  aloud — 

"  There  hasn't  been  such  a  thing  as  a  good  flint 
sold  at  the  foot  of  the  lake,  since  the  time  when 
the  Indian  traders  used  to  come  into  the  country  ; 
— and  if  a  body  should  go  into  the  flats  along  the 
streams  in  the  hills,  to  hunt  for  such  a  thing,  it's 
ten  to  one  but  they  will  be  all  covered  up  with 
the  plough.  Heigho !  it  seems  to  me,  that  just 
as  the  game  grows  scarce,  and  a  body  wants  the 
best  of  ammunition,  to  get  a  livelihood,  every 
thing  that's  bad  falls  on  him,  like  a  judgment.  But 
I'll  change  the  stone,  for  Billy  Kirby  hasn't  the 
eye  for  such  a  mark,  I  know." 

The  wood  chopper  seemed  now  entirely  sensi 
ble  that  his  reputation  in  a  great  measure  depend 
ed  on  his  care  ;  nor  did  he  neglect  any  means  to 
ensure  his  success.  He  drew  up  his  rifle,  and  re 
newed  his  aim,  again  and  again,  still  appearing  re 
luctant  to  fire.  No  sound  was  heard  from  even 
Brom,  during  these  portentous  movements,  until 
Kirby  discharged  his  piece,  with  the  same  want  of 
success  as  before.  Then,  indeed,  the  shouts  of  the 
negro  rung  through  the  bushes,  and  sounded  among 
the  trees  of  the  neighbouring  forest,  like  the  out 
cries  of  a  tribe  of  Indians.  He  laughed,  rolling  his 
head,  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other,  until  na 
ture  seemed  exhausted  with  mirth.  He  danced, 
until  his  legs  were  wearied  with  motion,  in  the 
22* 


258  THE    PIONEERS. 

snow ;  and,  in  short,  he  exhibited  all  that  violence 
of  joy  that  characterizes  the  mirth  of  a  thoughtless 
negro. 

•  The  wood-chopper  had  exerted  his  art,  and  felt 
a  proportionate  degree  of  disappointment  at  his 
failure.  He  first  examined  the  bird  with  the  ut 
most  attention,  and  more  than  once  suggested  that 
he  had  touched  its  feathers  ;  but  the  voice  of  the 
multitude  was  against  him,  for  it  felt  disposed  to 
listen  to  the  often-repeated  cries  of  the  black,  to 
"  gib  a  nigger  fair  play." 

Finding  it  impossible  to  make  out  a  title  to  the 
bird,  Kirby  turned  fiercely  to  the  black,  and  said — 

"  Shut  your  oven,  you  crow  !  Where  is  the  man 
that  can  hit  a  turkey's  head  at  a  hundred  yards  ? 
I  was  a  fool  for  trying.  You  needn't  make  an  up 
roar,  like  a  falling  pine-tree,  about  it.  Show  me 
the  man  who  can  do  it." 

"  Look  this  a- way,  Billy  Kirby,"  said  Leather- 
stocking,  "  and  let  them  clear  the  mark,  and  I'll 
«*how  you  a  man  who's  made  better  shots  afore 
now,  and  that  when  he's  been  hard  pressed  by  the 
savages  and  wild  beasts." 

"  Perhaps  there  is  one  whose  rights  come  before 
ours,  Leather-stocking,"  said  Miss  Temple ;  "  if 
so,  we  will  waive  our  privilege." 

"  If  it  be  me  that  you  have  reference  to,  madam," 
said  the  young  hunter,  u  I  shall  decline  another 
chance.  My  shoulder  is  yet  weak,  I  find." 

Elizabeth  regarded  his  proud,  but  forced  man 
ner,  and  even  thought  that  she  could  discern  a 
tinge  on  his  cheek,  that  spoke  the  shame  of  con 
scious  poverty.  She  said  no  more,  but  suffered 
her  own  champion  to  make  a  trial. 

Although  Natty  Bumppo  had  certainly  made 
hundreds  of  more  momentous  shots,  at  his  enemies 
or  his  game,  yet  he  never  exerted  himself  more  to 


THE    PIONEERS.  259 

excel.  He  raised  his  piece  three  several  times ; 
once  to  get  his  range  ;  once  to  calculate  his  dis 
tance  ;  and  once  because  the  bird,  alarmed  by  the 
deathlike  stillness  that  prevailed,  turned  its  head 
quickly,  to  examine  its  foes.  But  the  fourth  time 
he  fired.  The  smoke,  the  report,  and  the  momen 
tary  shock,  prevented  most  of  the  spectators  from 
instantly  knowing  the  result ;  but  Elizabeth,  when 
she  saw  her  champion  drop  the  end  of  his  rifle  in 
the  snow,  and  open  his  mouth  in  one  of  its  silent 
laughs,  and  then  proceed  very  coolly  to  recharge 
his  piece,  knew  that  he  had  been  successful.  The 
boys  rushed  to  the  mark,  and  lifted  the  turkey  on 
high,  lifeless,  and  with  nothing  but  the  remnant  of 
a  head. 

"  Bring  in  the  creater,"  said  Leather-stocking, 
"  and  put  it  at  the  feet  of  the  lady.  I  was  her  de 
puty  in  the  matter,  and  the  bird  is  her  property." 

"And  a  good  deputy  you  have  proved  your 
self,"  returned  Elizabeth — "  so  good,  cousin  Ri 
chard,  that  I  would  advise  you  to  remember  his 
qualities."  She  paused,  and  the  gayety  that  beam 
ed  on  her  face  gave  place  to  a  more  serious  ear 
nestness.  She  even  blushed  a  little  as  she  turned 
to  the  young  hunter,  and,  with  the  insinuating 
charm  of  a  woman's  best  manner,  added — "  But  it 
was  only  to  see  an  exhibition  of  the  far-famed  skill 
of  Leather-stocking,  that  I  tried  my  fortunes.  Will 
you,  sir,  accept  the  bird,  as  a  small  peace-offering, 
for  the  hurt  that  prevented  your  own  success  ?" 

The  expression  with  which  the  youth  received 
this  present  was  indescribable.  He  appeared  to 
yield  to  the  exquisite  blandishment  of  her  air,  in 
opposition  to  a  strong  inward  impulse  to  the  con 
trary.  He  bowed,  and  raised  the  victim  silently 
from  her  feet,  but  continued  silent. 

Elisabeth  handed  the  black  a  piece  of  silver  as 


260  THE   PIONEERS. 

a  remuneration  for  his  loss,  which  had  some  effect 
m  again  unbending  his  muscles,  and  then  express 
ed  to  her  companion  her  readiness  to  return  home 
ward. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  cousin  Bess,"  cried  Richard  ; 
"  there  is  an  uncertainty  about  the  rules  of  this 
sport,  that  it  is  proper  I  should  remove.  If  you 
will  appoint  a  committee,  gentlemen,  to  wait  on 
me  this  morning,  I  will  draw  up  in  writing  a  set 
of  regulations "  He  stopped,  writh  some  indig 
nation,  to  see  who  it  was  that  so  familiarly  laid  his 
hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the  High  Sheriff  of . 

"  A  merry  Christmas  to  you,  cousin  Dickon," 
said  Judge  Temple,  who  had  approached  the  party 
unperceived :  "  I  must  have  a  vigilant  eye  to  my 
daughter,  sir,  if  you  are  to  be  seized  daily  with 
these  gallant  fits.  I  admire  the  taste,  which  would 
introduce  a  lady  to  such  scenes !" 

"  It  is  her  own  perversity,  'duke,"  cried  the  dis 
appointed  Sheriff,  who  felt  the  loss  of  the  first  sa 
lutation  as  grievously  as  many  a  man  would  a  much 
greater  misfortune  ;  "  and  I  must  say  that  she  comes 
honestly  by  it.  I  led  her  out  to  show  her  the  im 
provements,  but  away  she  scampered,  through  the 
snow,  at  the  first  sound  of  the  fire-arms,  the  same 
as  if  she  had  been  brought  up  in  a  camp,  instead  of 
a  first-rate  boarding-school.  I  do  think,  Judge 
Temple,  that  such  dangerous  amusements  should 
be  suppressed  by  law ;  nay,  I  doubt  whether  they 
are  not  already  indictable  at  common  law." 

"  Well,  sir,  as  you  are  Sheriff  of  the  county,  it 
becomes  your  duty  to  examine  into  the  matter," 
returned  the  smiling  Marmaduke.  "  I  perceive 
that  Bess  has  executed  her  commission,  and  I  hope 
it  met  with  a  favourable  reception." 

Richard  glanced  his  eye  at  the  packet,  which  he 


THE   PIONEERS.  261 

held  in  his  hand,  and  the  slight  anger  produced  by 
his  disappointment  vanished  instantly. 

"  Ah  !  'duke,  my  dear  cousin,"  he  said,  "  step  a 
little  on  one  side ;  I  have  something  I  would  say 
to  you."  Marmaduke  complied,  and  the  Sheriff 
led  him  to  a  little  distance  in  the  bushes,  and  con 
tinued — "  First,  'duke,  let  me  thank  you  for  your 
friendly  interest  with  the  Council  and  the  Govern 
or,  without  which,  I  am  confident,  that  the  greatest 
merit  would  avail  but  little.  But  we  are  sisters' 
children — we  are  sisters'  children ;  and  you  may 
use  me  like  one  of  your  horses ;  ride  me  or  drive 
me,  'duke,  I  am  wholly  yours.  But  in  my  humble 
opinion,  this  young  companion  of  Leather-stocking 
requires  looking  after.  He  has  a  very  dangerous 
propensity  for  turkey." 

"  Leave  him  to  my  management,  Dickon."  said 
the  Judge,  gravely,  "  and  I  will  cure  his  appetite 
by  indulgence.  It  is  with  him  that  I  would  speak. 
\*et  us  rejoin  the  sportsmen." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


"Poor  wrstch  !  the  mother  that  him  bare, 
If  she  had  been  in  presence  there, 
In  his  wan  face,  and  sun-burnt  hair, 
She  had  not  known  her  child." 

Scott. 


IT  diminished,  in  no  degree,  the  effect  produced 
Ly  the  conversation  which  passed  between  Judge 
Temple  and  the  young  hunter,  that  the  former  took 
the  arm  of  his  daughter,  and  drew  it  through  his 
own,  when  he  advanced  from  the  spot  whither  Ri 
chard  had  led  him  to  where  the  youth  was  stand 
ing,  in  a  musing  attitude,  leaning  on  his  rifle,  and 
apparently  contemplating  the  dead  bird  that  lay  at 
his  feet.  The  presence  of  Marmaduke  did  not  in 
terrupt  the  sports,  which  were  resumed,  by  loud 
and  clamorous  disputes  concerning  the  conditions 
of  a  chance,  that  involved  the  life  of  a  bird  of  much 
inferior  quality  to  the  last.  Leather-stocking  and 
Mohegan  had  alone  drawn  aside  to  the  place  where 
stood  their  youthful  companion ;  and,  although  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  such  a  throng,  the  fol 
lowing  conversation  was  heard  only  by  those  who 
were  interested  in  it. 

"  I  have  greatly  injured  you,  Mr.  Edwards,"  said 
the  Judge  ;  but  the  sudden  and  inexplicable  start, 
with  which  the  person  spoken  to  received  this  un 
expected  address,  caused  him  to  pause  a  moment 


THE   PIONEERS  263 

in  manifest  surprise,  also.  As  no  answer  was  given, 
and  the  strong  emotion  exhibited  in  the  counte 
nance  of  the  youth  gradually  passed  away,  he  con 
tinued — "  But,  fortunately,  it  is  in  some  measure 
in  my  power  to  compensate  you  for  what  I  have 
done.  My  kinsman,  Richard  Jones,  has  received 
an  appointment  that  will,  in  future,  deprive  me  of 
his  assistance,  and  leaves  me,  just  now,  destitute  of 
one  who  might  greatly  aid  me  with  his  pen.  Your 
manner,  notwithstanding  appearances,  is  a  suffi 
cient  proof  of  your  education,  nor  will  thy  shoul 
der  suffer  thee  to  labour,  for  some  time  to  come. 
My  doors  are  open  to  thee,  my  young  friend,  for 
in  this  infant  country  we  harbour  no  suspicions : 
little  offering  to  tempt  the  cupidity  of  the  evil  dis 
posed.  Become  my  assistant,  for  at  least  a  season, 
and  receive  such  compensation  as  thy  services  will 
deserve." 

There  was  nothing  in  the  manner  or  the  offer 
of  the  Judge  to  justify  the  reluctance, 'amounting 
nearly  to  loathing,  with  which  the  youth  listened 
to  his  speech  :  but  after  a  powerful  effort,  as  if  for 
self-command,  he  replied — 

"  I  would  serve  you,  sir,  or  any  other  man,  for 
an  honest  support,  for  I  do  not  affect  to  conceal 
that  my  necessities  are  very  great,  even  beyond 
what  appearances  would  indicate  ;  but  I  am  fearful 
that  such  new  duties  would  interfere  too  much  with 
more  important  business :  so  that  I  must  decline 
your  offer,  and  depend  on  my  rifle,  as  before,  for 
my  subsistence." 

Richard  here  took  occasion  to  whisper  to  the 
young  lady,  who  had  shrunk  a  little  from  the  fore 
ground  of  the  picture — 

"  This,  you  see,  cousin  Bess,  is  the  natural  re 
luctance  of  a  half-breed  to  leave  the  savage  state. 


264  THE   PIONEERS. 

Their  attachment  to  a  wandering  life  is,  I  verily 
believe,  unconquerable." 

"  It  is  a  precarious  life,"  observed  Marmaduke, 
without  hearing  the  Sheriff's  observation,  "  and 
one  that  brings  more  evils  with  it  than  present  suf 
fering.  Trust  me,  my  young  friend,  my  experi 
ence  is  greater  than  thine,  when  I  tell  thee,  that 
the  unsettled  life  of  these  hunters  is  of  vast  disad 
vantage  for  temporal  purposes,  and  it  totally  re 
moves  one  from  within  the  influence  of  more  sacred 
things." 

"  No,  no,  Judge,"  interrupted  the  Leather-stock 
ing,  who  was  hitherto  unseen,  or  disregarded  ; 
"  take  him  into  your  shanty  in  welcome,  but  tell 
him  the  raal  thing.  I  have  lived  in  the  woods  for 
forty  long  years,  and  have  spent  five  years  at  & 
time  without  seeing  the  light  of  a  clearing  bigger 
than  a  wind-row  in  the  trees ;  and  I  should  like  to 
know  where  you'll  find  a  man,  in  his  sixty-eighth 
year,  who  can  get  an  easier  living,  for  all  your  bet 
terments,  and  your  deer-laws  :  and,  as  for  honesty, 
or  doing  what's  right  between  man  and  man,  I'll 
not  turn  my  back  to  the  longest  winded  deacon  on 
your  patent." 

"  Thou  art  an  exception,  Leather-stocking,"  re 
turned  the  Judge,  nodding  good-naturedly  at  the 
hunter ;  "  for  thou  hast  a  temperance  unusual  in 
thy  class,  and  a  hardihood  exceeding  thy  years. 
But  this  youth  is  made  of  materials  too  precious  to 
be  wasted  in  the  forest.  I  entreat  thee  to  join  my 
family,  if  it  be  but  till  thy  arm  be  healed.  My 
daughter  here,  who  is  mistress  of  my  dwelling,  will 
tell  thee  that  thou  art  welcome." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Elizabeth,  whose  earnestness 
was  strongly  checked  by  the  assumption  of  a  wo 
man's  dignity.  "  The  unfortunate  would  be  wel- 


THE    PIONEERS.  265 

come  at  any  time,  but  doubly  so,  when  we  feel  that 
we  have  occasioned  the  evil  ourselves." 

"  Yes,"  said  Richard,  "  and  if  you  relish  turkey, 
young  man,  there  are  plenty  in  the  coops,  and  those 
of  the  best  kind,  I  can  assure  you." 

Finding  himself  thus  ably  seconded,  Marmaduke 
pushed  his  advantage  to  the  utmost.  He  entered 
into  a  detail  of  the  duties  that  would  attend  the 
situation,  and  circumstantially  mentioned  the  re 
ward,  and  all  those  points  which  are  deemed  of 
importance  among  men  of  business.  /The  youth 
listened  in  extreme  agitation.  There  was  an  evi 
dent  contest  in  his  feelings  ;  at  times  he  appeared 
to  wish  eagerly  for  the  change,  and  then  again  the 
incomprehensible  expression  of  disgust  would  cross 
his  handsome  features,  like  a  dark  cloud  obscuring 
a  noonday  sun. 

The  Indian,  in  whose  manner  the  depression  of 
self-abasement  was  most  powerfully  exhibited,  lis 
tened  to  the  offers  of  the  Judge  with  an  interest 
that  increased  with  each  syllable.  Gradually  he 
drew  nigher  to  the  group  ;  and  when,  with  his  keen 
glance,  he  detected  the  most  marked  evidence  ot 
yielding  in  the  countenance  of  his  young  compa 
nion,  he  changed  at  once  from  his  attitude  and  look 
of  shame  to  the  fearless  and  proud  front  of  an  In 
dian  warrior,  and  moving,  with  great  dignity,  closer 
to  the  parties,  he  spoke  in  his  turn. 

"  Listen  to  your  Father,"  he  said,  "  for  his 
words  are  old.  Let  the  Young  Eagle  and  the 
Great  Land  Chief  eat  together;  let  them  steep, 
without  fear,  near  to  each  other.  The  children  of 
Miquon  love  not  blood  ;  they  are  just,  and  will  do 
right.  The  sun  must  rise  and  set  often,  before 
men  can  make  one  family ;  it  is  not  the  work  of  a 
day,  but  of  many  winters.  The  Mingoes  and  the 
Delawares  are  born  enemies ;  their  blood  can  never 
23 


THE    PIONEERS. 

mix  in  the  wigwam :  it  never  will  run  in  the  same 
stream  in  the  battle.  What  makes  the  brother  of 
Miquon  and  the  Young  Eagle  foes  ?  They  are  of  the 
same  tribe:  their  fathers  and  mothers  are  one, 
Learn  to  wait,  my  son  :  you  have  Delaware  blood; 
and  an  Indian  warrior  knows  how  to  be  patient." 

This  figurative  address  seemed  to  have  great 
weight  with  the  young  man,  who  gradually  yielded 
to  the  representations  of  Marmaduke,  and  eventu 
ally  consented  to  his  proposal.  It  was,  however, 
to  be  an  experiment  only ;  and  if  either  of  the  par 
ties  thought  fit  to  rescind  the  engagement,  it  was 
left  at  his  option  so  to  do.  The  remarkable  and 
ill-concealed  reluctance  of  the  youth  to  accept  of 
an  offer,  which  most  men  in  his  situation  would 
consider  as  an  unhoped-for  elevation,  occasioned 
no  little  surprise  in  those  of  the  spectators  to  whom 
he  was  a  stranger ;  and  it  left  a  slight  impression  to 
his  disadvantage.  When  the  parties  separated, 
they  very  naturally  made  the  subject  the  topic  of 
a  conversation,  which  we  shall  relate ;  first  com 
mencing  with  the  Judge,  his  daughter,  and  Richard, 
who  were  slowly  pursuing  the  way  back  to  the 
Mansion-house. 

"  I  have  surely  endeavoured  to  remember  the 
holy  mandates  of  our  Redeemer,  when  he  bids  us 
to  '  love  them  who  despitefully  use  you,'  in  my 
intercourse  with  this  incomprehensible  boy,"  said 
Marmaduke.  "  I  know  not  what  there  is  in  my 
dwelling  to  frighten  a  lad  of  his  years,  unless  it 
may  be  thy  presence  and  visage,  Bess." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Richard,  with  great  simplicity  in 
his  manner ;  "  it  is  not  cousin  Bess.  But  when 
did  you  ever  know  a  half-breed,  'duke,  who  could 
bear  civilization  ?  For  that  matter,  they  are  worse 
than  the  savages  themselves.  Did  you  notice  how 


THE   PIONEERS.  267 

knock-kneed  he  stood,  Elizabeth,  and  what  a  wild 
look  he  had  in  his  eyes  ?" 

"  I  heeded  not  his  eyes,  sir,"  returned  the  maid 
en,  "  nor  his  knees,  which  would  be  all  the  better  for 
a  little  humbling.  Really,  my  dear  sir,  I  think  you 
did  exercise  the  Christian  virtue  of  patience  to  the 
utmost.  I  was  disgusted  with  his  airs,  long  before  he 
consented  to  make  one  in  our  family.  Truly,  we  are 
much  honoured  by  the  association  !  In  what  apart 
ment  is  he  to  be  placed,  sir ;  and  at  what  table  is 
he  to  receive  his  nectar  and  ambrosia  ?" 

"  With  Benjamin  and  Remarkable,"  interrupted 
Mr.  Jones ;  "  you  surely  would  not  make  the  youth 
eat  with  the  blacks !  He  is  part  Indian,  it  is  true, 
but  the  natives  hold  the  negroes  in  great  contempt. 
No,  no — he  would  starve  before  he  would  break  a 
crust  with  the  negroes." 

"  I  am  but  too  happy,  Dickon,  to  tempt  him  to 
eat  with  ourselves,"  said  Marmaduke,  "  to  think 
of  offering  even  the  indignity  you  propose." 

u  Then,  sir,"  said  Elizabeth,  with  an  air  that 
was  slightly  affected,  as  if  submitting  to  her  father's 
orders  in  opposition  to  her  own  will,  "  it  is  your 
pleasure  that  he  be  a  gentleman." 

"  Certainly ;  he  is  to  fill  the  station  of  one ;  let 
him  receive  the  treatment  that  is  due  to  his  place, 
until  we  find  him  unworthy  of  it." 

"  Well,  well,  'duke,"  cried  the  Sheriff,  "  you  will 
find  it  no  easy  matter  to  make  a  gentleman  of  him 
The  old  proverb  says,  c  that  it  takes  three  genera 
tions  to  make  a  gentleman.'  There  was  my  father, 
whom  every  body  knew ;  my  grandfather  wras  an 
M.  D.  ;  and  his  father  a  D.  D. ;  and  his  father  came 
from  England.  I  never  could  come  at  the  truth  of 
his  origin,  but  he  was  either  a  great  merchant,  in 
London,  or  a  great  country  lawyer." 

"  Here  is  a  true  American  genealogy  for  you,1 


268  THE    PIONEERS. 

said  Marmaduke,  laughing.  "  It  does  very  well, 
till  you  get  across  the  water,  where,  as  every 
thing  is  obscure,  it  is  certain  to  deal  in  the  superla 
tive.  You  are  sure  that  your  English  progenitor  was 
great,  Dickon,  whatever  his  profession  might  be  ?" 

"To  be  sure  I  am,"  returned  the  other;  "I 
have  heard  my  old  aunt  talk  of  him  by  the  month. 
We  are  of  a  good  family,  Judge  Temple,  and  have 
never  filled  any  but  honourable  stations  in  life." 

"  I  marvel  that  you  should  be  satisfied  with  so 
scanty  a  provision  of  gentility,  in  the  olden  time, 
Dickon.  Most  of  the  American  genealogists  com 
mence  their  traditions,  like  the  stories  for  children, 
with  three  brothers,  taking  especial  care  that  one 
of  the  triumvirate  shall  be  the  progenitor  of  any  of 
the  same  name  who  may  happen  to  be  better  fur 
nished  with  worldly  gear  than  themselves.  But, 
here,  all  are  equal  who  know  how  to  conduct 
themselves  with  propriety;  and  Oliver  Edwards 
comes  into  my  family  on  a  footing  with  both  the 
High  Sheriff  and  the  3udge." 

"  Well,  'duke,  I  call  this  democracy,  not  repub 
licanism;  but  I  say  nothing;  only  let  him  keep 
within  the  law,  or  I  shall  show  him,  that  the  free 
dom  of  even  this  country  is  under  wholesome  re 
straint." 

"  Surely,  Dickon,  you  will  not  execute  till  I  con 
demn  !"  said  Marmaduke.  "  But  what  says  Bess 
to  the  new  inmate  ?  We  must  pay  a  deference  to 
the  ladies,  in  this  matter,  after  all." 

"  Oh  !  sir,"  returned  Elizabeth,  "  I  believe  I  am 
much  like  a  certain  Judge  Temple,  in  this  particu 
lar  ;  not  easily  to  be  turned  from  my  opinion.  But, 
to  be  serious,  although  I  must  think  the  introduc 
tion  of  a  demi-savage  into  the  family  a  somewhat 
startling  event,  whomsoever  you  think  proper  to 
countenance  may  be  sure  of  my  respect." 


THE    PIONEERS.  269 

The  judge  drew  her  arm  more  closely  in  his 
own,  and  smiled,  while  Richard  led  the  way 
through  the  gate  of  the  little  court-yard  in  the  rear 
of  the  dwelling,  dealing  out  his  ambiguous  warn 
ings,  with  his  accustomed  loquacity. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  foresters — for  the  three 
hunters,  notwithstanding  their  great  difference  in 
character,  well  deserved  this  common  name — pur 
sued  their  course  along  the  skirts  of  the  village  in 
silence.  It  was  not  until  they  had  reached  the 
lake,  and  were  moving  over  its  frozen  surface,  to 
wards  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  where  their  hut 
stood,  that  the  youth  exclaimed — 

"  Who  could  have  foreseen  this,  a  montn  since ! 
I  have  consented  to  serve  Marmaduke  Temple  ' 
to  be  an  inmate  in  the  dwelling  of  the  greatest  ene 
my  of  my  race  !  Yet  what  better  could  I  do  ?  The 
servitude  cannot  be  long,  and  when  the  motive  for 
submitting  to  it  ceases  to  exist,  I  will  shake  it  off*, 
like  the  dust  from  my  feet." 

"  Is  he  a  Mingo,  that  you  will  call  him  enemy  ?" 
said  Mohegan.  "  The  Delaware  warrior  sits  still, 
and  waits  the  time  of  the  Great  Spirit.  He  is  no 
woman,  to  cry  out  like  a  child." 

"  Well,  I'm  mistrustful,  John,"  said  Leather* 
stocking,  in  whose  air  there  had  been,  during  the 
whole  business,  a  strong  expression  of  doubt  and 
uncertainty.  "  They  say  that  there's  new  laws  in 
the  land,  and  I  am  sartain  that  there's  new  ways 
in  the  mountains.  One  hardly  knows  the  lakes  and 
streams,  they've  altered  the  country  so  much.  I 
must  say  I'm  mistrustful  of  such  smooth  speakers ; 
for  I've  known  the  whites  talk  fair,  when  they 
wanted  the  Indian  lands  most.  This  I  will  say, 
though  I'm  white  myself,  and  was  born  nigh  York, 
and  of  honest  parents  too." 

"  I  will  submit,"  said  the  youth ;  I  will  forget 


270  THE    PIONEERS. 

who  I  am.  Cease  to  remember,  old  Mohegan,  that 
I  am  the  descendant  of  a  Delaware  chief,  who  once 
was  master  of  these  noble  hills,  these  beautiful 
vales,  and  of  this  water,  over  which  we  tread. 
Yes,  yes — I  will  become  bis  bondsman — his  slave  ! 
Is  it  not  an  honourable  servitude,  old  man  ?" 

"  Old  man !"  repeated  the  Indian,  solemnly,  and 
pausing  in  his  walk,  as  usual,  when  much  excited — • 
"  yes ;  John  is  old.  Son  of  my  brother !  if  Mohe 
gan  was  young,  when  would  his  rifle  be  still? 
where  would  the  deer  hide,  and  he  not  find  him  ? 
But  John  is  old  ;  his  hand  is  the  hand  of  a  squaw 
his  tomahawk  is  a  hatchet ;  brooms  and  baskets 
are  his  enemies — he  strikes  no  other. — Hunger 
and  old  age  come  together.  See,  Hawk-eye  !  when 
young,  he  would  go  days  and  eat  nothing;  but 
should  he  not  put  the  brush  on  the  fire  now,  the 
blaze  would  go  out.  Take  the  son  of  Miquon  by 
the  hand,  and  he  will  help  you." 

"  Pm  not  the  man  I  was,  I'll  own,  Chingach- 
gook,"  returned  the  Leather-stocking ;  "  but  I  can 
go  without  a  meal  now,  on  occasion.  When  we 
tracked  the  Iroquois  through  the  '  Beech-woods,' 
they  druv  the  game  afore  them,  for  I  hadn't  a  mor 
sel  to  eat  from  Monday  morning  come  Wednes 
day  sundown  ;  and  then  I  shot  as  fat  a  buck,  on 
the  Pennsylvany  line,  as  you  ever  laid  eyes  on. 
It  would  have  done  your  heart  raal  good  to  have 
seen  the  Delawares  eat — for  I  was  out  scouting 
and  scrimmaging  with  their  tribe,  at  the  very  time. 
Lord  !  the  Indians,  lad,  lay  still,  and  just  waited 
till  Providence  should  send  them  their  game  ;  but 
I  foraged  about,  and  put  a  deer  up,  and  put  him 
down  too,  'fore  he  had  made  a  dozen  jumps.  I  was 
too  weak,  and  too  ravenous  to  stop  for  his  flesh ; 
so  I  took  a  good  drink  of  his  blood,  and  the  Indians 
eat  of  his  meat  raw.  John  was  there,  and  John 


THE    PIONEERS.  271 

knows.  But  then  starvation  would  be  apt  to  be 
too  much  for  me  now,  I  will  own,  though  I'm  no 
great  eater  at  any  time." 

"  Enough  is  said,  my  friends,"  cried  the  youth. 
"  I  feel  that  every  where  the  sacrifice  is  required 
at  my  hands,  and  it  shall  be  made ;  but  say  no 
more,  I  entreat  you ;  I  cannot  bear  this  subject 
now." 

His  companions  were  silent,  and  they  soon  reach 
ed  the  hut,  which  they  entered,  after  removing 
certain  complicated  and  ingenious  fastenings,  that 
were  put  there,  apparently  to  guard  a  property  of 
but  very  little  value.  Immense  piles  of  snow  lay 
against  the  log  walls  of  this  secluded  habitation,  on 
one  side,  while  fragments  of  small  trees  and 
branches  of  oak  and  chestnut,  that  had  been  torn 
from  their  parent  stems  by  the  winds,  were  throwrn 
into  a  pile,  on  the  other.  A  small  column  of  smoke 
rose  through  a  chimney  of  sticks,  cemented  with 
clay,  along  the  side  of  the  rock  ;  and  had  marked 
the  snow  above  with  its  dark  tinges,  in  a  wavy 
line,  from  the  point  of  emission  to  another,  where 
the  hill  receded  from  the  brow  of  a  precipice,  and 
held  a  soil  that  nourished  trees  of  a  gigantic 
growth,  that  overhung  the  little  bottom  beneath. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  passed  off  as  such 
days  are  commonly  spent  in  a  new  country. — The 
settlers  thronged  to  the  academy  again,  to  witness 
the  second  effort  of  Mr.  Grant ;  and  Mohegan  was 
one  of  his  hearers.  But,  notwithstanding  the  Di 
vine  fixed  his  eyes  intently  on  the  Indian,  when 
he  invited  his  congregation  to  advance  to  the  table, 
the  shame  of  last  night's  abasement  was  yet  too 
keen  in  the  old  chief  to  suffer  him  to  move. 

When  the  people  were  dispersing,  the  clouds, 
that  had  been  gathering  all  the  morning,  were 
dense  and  dirty;  and  before  half  of  the  curious 


272  THE    PIONEERS 

congregation  had  reached  their  different  cabins, 
that  were  placed  in  every  glen  and  hollow  of  the 
mountains,  or  perched  on  the  summits  of  the  hills 
themselves,  the  rain  was  falling  in  torrents.  The 
dark  edges  of  the  stumps  began  to  exhibit  them 
selves,  as  the  snow  settled  rapidly;  the  fences  of 
logs  and  brush,  which  before  had  been  only  traced 
by  the  long  lines  of  white  mounds,  that  ran  across 
the  valley  and  up  the  mountains,  peeped  out,  in 
spots,  from  their  light  covering ;  and  the  black 
stubs  were  momentarily  becoming  more  distinct, 
as  large  masses  of  snow  and  ice  fell  from  their 
sides,  under  the  influence  of  the  thaw. 

Sheltered  in  the  warm  hall  of  her  father's  com 
fortable  mansion,  Elizabeth,  accompanied  by  Loui 
sa  Grant,  looked  abroad  with  admiration  at  the 
ever-varying  face  of  things  without.  Even  the 
village,  which  had  just  before  been  glittering  with 
the  colour  of  the  frozen  element,  reluctantly  drop 
ped  its  mask,  and  the  houses  exposed  their  dark 
roofs  and  smoked  chimneys.  The  pines  shook  off 
their  covering  of  snow,  and  every  thing  seemed  to 
be  assuming  its  proper  hue,  with  a  rapidity  of 
transition  thit  bordered  on  the  supernatural. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


1  And  yet,  poor  Edwin  was  nj  vu.e«r  boy." 

Beattie 


THE  close  of  Christmas  day,  A  D.  1793,  was 
tempestuous,  but  comparatively  warm.  When 
darkness  had  again  hid  the  objects  in  the  village 
from  the  gaze  of  Elizabeth,  she  turned  from  the 
window,  where  she  had  remained  while  the  least 
vestige  of  light  lingered  over  the  tops  of  the  dark 
pines,  with  a  curiosity  that  was  rather  excited  than 
appeased  by  the  passing  glimpses  of  woodland 
scenery  that  she  had  caught  during  the  day. 

With  her  arm  locked  in  that  of  Miss  Grant,  the 
young  mistress  of  the  mansion  walked  slowly  up 
and  down  the  hall,  musing  on  the  scenes  that  were 
rapidly  recurring  to  her  memory,  and  possibly 
dwelling,  at  times,  in  the  sanctuary  of  her  thoughts, 
on  the  strange  occurrences  that  had  led  to  the  in 
troduction  to  her  father's  family,  of  one,  whose 
manners  so  singularly  contradicted  ihe  inferences 
to  be  drawn  from  his  situation.  The  expiring  heat 
of  the  apartment, — for  its  great  size  required  a  day 
to  reduce  its  temperature, — had  given  to  her  cheeks 
a  richness  of  bloom  that  exceeded  their  natural 
colour,  while  the  mild  and  melancholy  features  of 


274  THE    PIONEERS. 

Louisa  were  brightened  with  a  faint  tinge,  that, 
like  the  hectic  glow  of  disease,  gave  a  painful  in 
terest  to  her  beauty. 

The  eyes  of  the  gentlemen,  who  were  yet  seat 
ed  around  the  rich  wines  of  Judge  Temple,  fre 
quently  wandered  from  the  table,  that  was  placed 
at  one  end  of  the  hall,  to  the  lovely  forms  that  were 
silently  moving  over  its  length.  Much  mirth,  and 
that,  at  times,  of  a  boisterous  kind,  proceeded  from 
the  mouth  of  Richard  ;  but  Major  Hartmann  was 
not  yet  excited  to  his  pitch  of  merriment,  and  Mar- 
maduke  respected  the  presence  of  his  clerical 
guest  too  much,  to  indulge  in  even  the  innocent 
humour,  that  formed  no  small  ingredient  in  his 
character. 

Such  were,  and  such  continued  to  be,  the  pur 
suits  of  the  party,  for  half  an  hour  after  the  shut 
ters  were  closed,  and  candles  were  placed  in  va 
rious  parts  of  the  hall,  as  substitutes  for  the  de 
parting  daylight.  The  appearance  of  Benjamin, 
staggering  under  the  burthen  of  an  armful  of  wood, 
was  the  first  interruption  to  the  scene. 

"  How  now,  Master  Pump  !"  roared  the  newly 
appointed  Sheriff;  "  is  there  not  warmth  enough 
in  'duke's  best  Madeira,  to  keep  up  the  animal 
heat  through  this  thaw  ?  Remember,  old  boy, 
that  the  Judge  is  particular  with  his  beech  and 
maple,  beginning  to  dread,  already,  a  scarcity  of 
the  precious  articles.  Ha!  ha!  ha!  'duke,  you 
are  a  good,  warm-hearted  relation,  I  will  own,  as 
in  duty  bound,  but  you  have  some  queer  notions 
about  you,  after  all.  c  Come,  let  us  be  jolly,  and 
cast  away  folly'  " 

The  notes  gradually  sunk  into  a  hum,  while  the 
Major-domo  threw  down  his  load,  and  turning  to 
his  interrogator  with  an  air  of  great  earnestness, 
he  replied — 


THE   PIONEERS.  275 

"  Why,  look  you,  Squire  Dickens,  mayhap 
there's  a  warm  latitude  round  about  the  table  there, 
thof  it's  not  the  stuff  to  raise  the  heat  in  my  body, 
neither ;  the  raal  Jamaiky  being  the  only  thing  to 
do  that,  beside  good  wood,  or  some  such  matter  as 
Newcastle  coal.  But,  if  I  know  any  thing  of  wea 
ther,  d'ye  see,  it's  time  to  be  getting  all  snug,  and 
for  putting  the  ports  in,  and  stirring  the  fires  a  bit. 
Mayhap  I've  not  followed  the  seas  twenty-seven 
years,  and  lived  another  seven  in  these  here  woods, 
for  nothing,  gemmen." 

"  Why,  does  it  bid  fair  for  a  change  in  the  wea 
ther,  Benjamin  ?"  inquired  the  master  of  the  house. 

"  There's  a  shift  of  wind,  your  honour,"  re 
turned  the  steward ;  "  and  when  there's  a  shift  of 
wind,  you  may  look  for  a  change  in  this  here  cli 
mate.  I  was  aboard  of  one  of  Rodney's  fleet,  d'ye 
see,  about  the  time  we  licked  De  Grasse,  Moun- 
sheer  Ler  Quaw's  countryman,  there;  and  the 
wind  was  here  at  the  south'ard  and  east'ard ;  and  I 
was  below,  mixing  a  toothful  of  hot-stuff  for  the 
Captain  of  marines,  who  dined,  d'ye  see,  in  the 
cabin,  that  there  very  same  day ;  and  I  suppose  he 
wanted  to  put  out  the  Captain's  fire  with  a  gun 
room  ingyne  :  and  so,  just  as  I  got  it  to  my  own 
liking,  after  tasting  pretty  often,  for  the  soldier  was 
difficult  to  please,  slap  came  the  fore-sail  ag'in 
the  mast,  whiz  went  the  ship  round  on  her  heel, 
like  a  whirligig.  And  a  lucky  thing  was  it  that  our 
helm  was  down  ;  for  as  she  gathered  starnway  she 
payed  off,  which  was  more  than  every  ship  in  the 
fleet  did,  or  could  do.  But  she  strained  herself  IP 
the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  she  shipped  a  deal  of 
water  over  her  quarter.  I  never  swallowed  so 
much  clear  water  at  a  time,  in  my  life,  as  I  did 
then,  for  I  was  looking  up  the  after-hatch  at  the 
instant." 


276  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  I  wonder,  Benjamin,  that  you  did  not  die  with 
a  dropsy  !"  said  Marmaduke. 

"  I  mought,  Judge,"  said  the  old  tar,  with  a  broad 
grin ;  "  but  there  was  no  need  of  the  med'cine 
chest  for  a  cure ;  for,  as  I  thought  the  brew  was 
spoilt  for  the  marine's  taste,  and  there  was  no  tell 
ing  when  another  sea  might  come  and  spoil  it  for 
mine,  I  finished  the  mug  on  the  spot.  So  then  all 
hands  was  called  to  the  pumps,  and  there  we  be 
gun  to  ply  the  pumps" 

"  Well,  but  the  weather  ?"  interrupted  Marma 
duke  ;  "  what  of  the  weather  without  doors  ?" 

"  Why,  here  the  wind  has  been  all  day  at  the 
south,  and  now  there's  a  lull,  as  if  the  last  blast 
was  out  of  bellows ;  and  there's  a  streak  along  the 
mountain,  to  the  north'ard,  that,  just  now,  was'nt 
wider  than  the  bigness  of  your  hand ;  and  then  the 
clouds  drive  afore  it  as  you'd  brail  a  mainsail,  and 
the  stars  are  heaving  in  sight,  like  so  many  lights 
and  beacons,  put  there  to  warn  us  to  pile  on  the 
wood ;  and,  if-so-be  that  I'm  a  judge  of  weather, 
it's  getting  to  be  time  to  build  on  a  fire ;  or  you'll 
have  half  of  them  there  porter  bottles,  and  them 
dimmy-johns  of  wine,  in  the  locker  here,  breaking 
with  the  frost,  afore  the  morning  watch  is  called." 

"  Thou  art  a  prudent  sentinel,"  said  the  Judge. 
"  Act  thy  pleasure  with  the  forests,  for  this  night 
at  least." 

Benjamin  did  as  he  was  ordered ;  nor  had  two 
hours  elapsed,  before  the  prudence  of  his  precau 
tions  became  very  visible.  The  south  wind  had, 
indeed,  blown  itself  out,  and  it  was  succeeded  by 
the  calmness  that  usually  gave  warning  of  a  serious 
change  in  the  weather.  Long  before  the  family 
retired  to  rest,  the  cold  had  become  cuttingly  se 
vere  ;  and  when  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  sallied  forth, 
under  a  bright  moon,  to  seek  his  own  abode,  he 


THE   PIONEERS.  277 

was  compelled  to  beg  a  blanket,  in  which  he  might 
envelope  his  form,  in  addition  to  the  numerous 
garments  that  his  sagacity  had  provided  for  the  oc 
casion.  The  divine  and  his  daughter  remained,  as 
inmates  of  the  Mansion-house,  during  the  night, 
and  the  excess  of  last  night's  merriment  induced 
the  gentlemen  to  make  an  early  retreat  to  their 
several  apartments.  Long  before  midnight,  the 
whole  family  were  invisible. 

Elizabeth  and  her  friend  had  not  yet  lost  their 
senses  in  sleep,  when  the  bowlings  of  the  north 
west  wind  were  heard  around  the  buildings,  and 
brought  with  them  that  exquisite  sense  of  comfort, 
that  is  ever  excited  under  such  circumstances,  in 
an  apartment  where  the  fire  has  not  yet  ceased  to 
glimmer ;  and  curtains,  and  shutters,  and  feathers, 
unite  to  preserve  the  desired  temperature  in  the 
air.  Once,  just  as  her  eyes  had  opened,  apparently 
in  the  last  stage  of  drowsiness,  the  roaring  winds 
brought  with  them  a  long  and  plaintive  howl,  that 
seemed  too  wild  for  a  dog,  and  yet  strongly  resem 
bled  the  cries  of  that  faithful  animal,  when  night 
awakens  his  vigilance,  and  gives  sweetness  and  so 
lemnity  to  his  alarms.  The  form  of  Louisa  Grant 
instinctively  pressed  nearer  to  that  of  the  young 
heiress,  who,  finding  her  companion  was  yet  awake, 
said,  in  a  low  tone,  as  if  afraid  to  break  a  charm 
with  her  voice — 

"  Those  distant  cries  are  plaintive,  and  even 
beautiful.  Can  they  be  the  hounds  from  the  hut 
of  Leather-stocking  ?" 

"  They  are  wolves,  who  have  ventured  from  the 
mountain,  on  the  lake,"  whispered  Louisa,  "  and 
who  are  only  kept  from  the  village  by  the  lights. 
One  night,  since  we  have  been  here,  hunger  drove 
them  to  our  very  doors.  Oh !  what  a  dreadful 
night  it  was !  But  the  riches  of  Judge  Temple 

24 


278  THE    PIONEERS. 

have  given  him  too  many  safeguards,  to  leave  room 
for  fear  in  this  house." 

"  The  enterprise  of  Judge  Temple  is  taming  the 
very  forests !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  proudly,  throw 
ing  off  the  covering,  and  partly  rising  in  the  bed. 
"  How  rapidly  is  civilization  treading  on  the  foot 
steps  of  nature  !"  she  continued,  as  her  eye  glanced 
over,  not  only  the  comforts,  but  the  luxuries  of  her 
apartment,  and  her  ear  again  listened  to  the  dis 
tant,  but  often  repeated  howls  from  the  lake. 
Finding,  however,  that  the  timidity  of  her  com 
panion  rendered  the  sounds  painful  to  her,  Eliza 
beth  resumed  her  place  by  her  side,  and  soon  for 
got  the  changes  in  the  country,  with  those  in  her 
own  condition,  in  a  deep  sleep. 

The  following  morning,  the  noise  of  the  female 
servant,  who  entered  the  apartment  to  light  their 
fire,  awoke  the  young  maidens  who  form  such  con 
spicuous  subjects  in  our  tale.  They  arose,  and 
finished  the  slight  preparations  of  their  toilets  in 
a  clear,  cold  atmosphere,  that  penetrated  through 
all  the  defences  of  even  Miss  Temple's  warm  room. 
When  Elizabeth  was  attired,  she  approached  a 
window  and  drew  its  curtain,  and,  throwing  open 
its  shutters,  she  endeavoured  to  look  abroad  on  the 
village  and  the  lake.  But  a  thick  covering  of  frost, 
on  the  panes  of  glass,  while  it  admitted  the  light, 
hid  the  view.  She  raised  the  sash,  and  then,  in 
deed,  a  most  glorious  scene  met  her  delighted  eye. 

The  lake  had  exchanged  its  covering  of  unspot 
ted  snow,  for  a  face  of  dark  ice,  that  reflected  the 
rays  of  the  rising  sun,  like  a  polished  mirror.  The 
houses  were  clothed  in  a  dress  of  the  same  descrip 
tion,  but  which,  owing  to  its  position,  shone  like 
bright  steel ;  while  the  enormous  icicles,  that  were 
pendent  from  every  roof,  caught  the  brilliant  light, 
apparently  throwing  it  from  one  to  the  other,  as 


THE   PIONEERS.  279 

each  glittered,  on  the  side  next  to  the  luminary, 
with  a  golden  lustre,  that  melted  away,  on  its  op 
posite,  into  the  dusky  shades  of  a  background. 
But  it  was  the  appearance  of  the  boundless  forests, 
that  covered  the  hills,  as  they  rose,  in  the  distance, 
one  over  the  other,  that  most  attracted  the  gaze 
of  Miss  Temple.  The  huge  branches  of  the  pines 
and  hemlocks,  on  the  western  mountains,  bent 
with  the  weight  of  the  ice  they  supported,  while 
their  summits  rose  above  the  swelling  tops  of  the 
oaks,  beeches,  and  maples,  like  spires  of  burnished 
silver  issuing  from  domes  of  the  same  material. 
The  limits  of  the  view,  in  this  direction,  were 
marked  by  an  undulating  outline  of  bright  light,  as 
if,  reversing  the  order  of  nature,  numberless  suns 
might  momentarily  be  expected  to  heave  above  the 
western  horizon.  In  the  foreground  of  the  pic 
ture,  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  near  to  the 
village,  each  tree  seemed  studded  with  diamonds, 
that  emitted  their  dancing  rays,  as  the  branches 
waved  gently  under  the  impulse  of  the  air.  Even 
the  sides  of  the  mountains  where  the  rays  of  the 
sun  could  not  yet  fall,  were  decorated  with  a  glassy 
coat,  that  presented  every  gradation  of  brilliancy, 
from  the  first  touch  of  the  luminary  to  the  dark 
foliage  of  the  hemlock,  glistening  through  its  coat 
of  crystal.  In  short,  the  whole  view  was  one  scene 
of  quivering  radiancy,  as  lake,  mountains,  village, 
and  woods,  each  emitted  a  portion  of  light,  tinged 
with  its  peculiar  hue,  and  varied  by  its  position  and 
its  magnitude. 

"  See  !"  cried  Elizabeth — "  see,  Louisa ;  hasten 
to  the  window,  and  observe  the  miraculous  change." 

Miss  Grant  complied ;  and,  after  bending  for  a 
moment  in  silence  from  the  opening,  she  observed, 
in  a  low  tone,  as  if  afraid  to  trust  the  sound  of  her 
voice — 


280  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  The  change  is  indeed  wonderful !  I  am  sur 
prised  that  he  should  be  able  to  effect  it  so  soon." 

Elizabeth  turned  in  amazement,  to  hear  such  a 
skeptical  sentiment  from  one  educated  like  her 
companion ;  but  was  surprised  to  find  that,  instead 
of  looking  at  the  view,  the  mild,  blue  eyes  of  Miss 
Grant  were  dwelling  on  the  form  of  a  well-dressed 
young  man,  who  was  standing  before  the  door  of 
the  building,  in  earnest  conversation  with  her  fa 
ther.  A  second  look  was  necessary,  before  she 
was  able  to  recognise  the  person  of  the  young 
hunter,  in  a  plain,  but,  assuredly,  the  ordinary  garb 
of  a  gentleman. 

"  Every  thing  in  this  magical  country  seems  to 
border  on  the  marvellous,"  said  Elizabeth ;  "  and 
among  all  the  changes,  this  is  certainly  not  the  least 
wonderful.  I  am  not  surprised,  that  your  eye 
caught  this  transformation,  without  noticing  the 
changes  in  the  view.  The  actors  are  as  unique  as 
the  scenery." 

Miss  Grant  coloured  highly,  and  drew  in  her 
head,  as  she  answered — 

"I  am  a  simple  girl,  Miss  Temple,  and  I  am 
afraid  you  will  find  me  but  a  poor  companion.  I 
— I  am  not  sure  that  I  understand  all  that  you  say. 
But  I  really  thought  that  you  wished  me  to  notice 
the  alteration  in  Mr.  Edwards.  Is  it  not  more 
wonderful,  when  we  recollect  his  origin  ?  They 
say  he  is  part  Indian." 

"  He  is  certainly  a  genteel  savage,"  returned 
the  smiling  Elizabeth.  "  But  let  us  go  down,  and 
give  the  Sachem  his  tea ; — for  I  suppose  he  is  a 
descendant  of  King  Philip,  if  not  a  grandson  of 
Pocahontas." 

The  ladies  were  met  in  the  hall  by  Judge  Tern 
pie,  who  took  his  daughter  aside,  to  apprise  her  of 


THE    PIONEERS.  281 

that  alteration  in  the  appearance  of  their  new  in 
mate,  with  which  she  was  already  acquainted. 

"  He  appears  reluctant  to  converse  on  his  for 
mer  situation,"  continued  Marmaduke ;  "  but  I 
gather  from  his  discourse,  as  is  apparent  from  his 
manner,  that  he  has  seen  better  days ;  and  I  really 
am  inclining  to  the  opinion  of  ftichard,  as  to  his 
origin ;  for  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  the  Indian 
Agents  to  rear  their  children  in  a  laudable  manner, 
and" 

"  Very  well,  my  dear  sir,"  interrupted  his  daugh 
ter,  laughing,  and  averting  her  eyes ;  "  it  is  all  well 
enough,  I  dare  say ;  but  as  I  do  not  understand  a 
word  of  the  Mohawk  language,  he  must  be  content 
to  speak  English ;  and  as  for  his  behaviour,  I  trust 
to  your  discernment  to  control  it." 

"  Ay  !  but,  Bess,"  said  the  Judge,  detaining  her 
gently  with  his  hand,  "  nothing  must  be  said  to  him 
of  his  past  life.  This  he  has  begged  particularly 
of  me,  as  a  favour.  He  is,  perhaps,  a  little  soured, 
just  now,  with  his  wounded  arm ;  but  the  injury 
seems  very  light,  and  another  time  he  may  be  more 
communicative." 

"  Oh !  I  am  not  much  troubled,  sir,  with  that 
laudable  thirst  after  knowledge,  that  is  called  curi 
osity.  I  shall  believe  him  to  be  the  child  of  Corn 
stalk,  or  Corn-planter,  or  some  other  renowned 
chieftain;  possibly  of  the  Big  Snake  himself;  and 
shall  treat  him  as  such,  until  he  sees  fit  to  shave 
his  good-looking  head,  borrow  some  half-dozen 
pair  of  my  best  earrings,  shoulder  his  rifle  again, 
and  disappear  as  suddenly  as  he  made  his  entrance. 
So  come,  my  dear  sir,  and  let  us  not  forget  the  rites 
of  hospitality,  for  the  short  time  he  is  to  remain 
with  us." 

Judge  Temple  smiled  at  the  graceful  playfulness 
of  his  child,  and  taking  her  arm,  they  entered  the 
24* 


282  THE    PIONEERS. 

breakfast  parlour,  where  the  young  hunter  was 
seated,  with  an  air  that  showed  his  determination 
to  domesticate  himself  in  the  family,  with  as  little 
parade  as  possible. 

Such  were  the  incidents  that  led  to  this  extra 
ordinary  increase  in  the  family  of  Judge  Temple, 
where,  having  once  established  the  youth,  the  sub 
ject  of  our  tale  requires  us  to  leave  him,  for  a  time, 
to  pursue  with  diligence  and  intelligence  the  em 
ployments  that  were  assigned  him  by  Marmaduke. 

Major  Hartmann  made  his  customary  visit,  and 
took  his  leave  of  the  party,  for  the  next  three 
months.  Mr.  Grant  was  compelled  to  be  absent 
much  of  his  time,  in  remote  parts  of  the  country, 
and  his  daughter  became  almost  a  constant  visiter 
at  the  Mansion-house.  Richard  entered,  with  his 
constitutional  eagerness,  on  the  duties  of  his  new 
office ;  and,  as  Marmaduke  was  much  employed, 
with  the  constant  applications  of  adventurers  for 
farms,  the  winter  passed  swiftly  away.  The  lake 
was  a  principal  scene  for  the  amusements  of  the 
young  people ;  where  the  ladies,  in  their  one-horse 
cutter,  driven  by  Richard,  and  attended,  when  the 
snow  would  admit  of  it,  by  young  Edwards,  on  his 
skates,  spent  many  hours,  taking  the  benefit  of  ex 
ercise  in  the  clear  air  of  the  hills.  The  reserve  of 
the  youth  gradually  gave  way  to  time  and  his  situa 
tion,  though  it  was  still  evident,  to  a  close  observer, 
that  he  had  frequent  moments  of  bitter  and  intense 
feeling. 

Elizabeth  saw  many  large  openings  appear  in  the 
sides  of  the  mountains  during  the  three  succeeding 
months,  where  different  settlers  had,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  the  country,  (C  made  their  pitch ;"  while 
the  numberless  sleighs  that  passed  through  the  vil 
lage,  loaded  with  wheat  and  barrels  of  pot-ashes, 
afforded  a  clear  demonstration  that  all  these  labours 


THE    PIONEERS.  283 

were  not  undertaken  in  vain.  In  short,  the  whole 
country  was  exhibiting  the  bustle  of  a  thriving  set 
tlement,  where  the  highways  were  thronged  with 
sleighs,  bearing  piles  of  rough  household  furniture  ; 
studded,  here  and  there,  with  the  smiling  faces  of 
women  and  children,  happy  in  the  excitement  of 
novelty ;  or  with  loads  of  produce,  hastening  to  the 
common  market  at  Albany,  that  served  as  so  many 
snares,  to  induce  the  emigrants  to  enter  into  those 
wild  mountains  in  search  of  competence  and  happi 
ness. 

The  village  was  alive  with  business  ;  the  artisans 
increasing  in  wealth  with  the  prosperity  of  the 
country,  and  each  day  witnessing  some  nearer  ap 
proach  to  the  manners  and  usages  of  an  old-settled 
town.  The  man  who  carried  the  mail,  or  "  the 
post,"  as  he  was  called,  talked  much  of  running  a 
stage,  and,  once  or  twice  during  the  winter,  he  was 
seen  taking  a  single  passenger,  in  his  cutter,  through 
the  snow-banks,  towards  the  Mohawk,  along  which 
a  regular  vehicle  glided,  semi- weekly,  with  the  ve 
locity  of  lightning,  and  under  the  direction  of  a 
knowing  whip  from  the  "  down  countries."  To 
wards  spring,  divers  families,  who  had  been  into 
the  "  old  states,"  to  see  their  relatives,  returned, 
in  time  to  save  the  snow,  frequently  bringing  with 
them  whole  neighbourhoods,  who  were  tempted  by 
their  representations  to  leave  the  farms  of  Con 
necticut  and  Massachusetts,  and  make  a  trial  in  the 
woods  for  fortune. 

During  all  this  time,  Oliver  Edwards,  whose 
sudden  elevation  excited  no  surprise  in  that  change 
ful  country,  was  earnestly  engaged  in  the  service 
of  Marmaduke,  during  the  days;  but  his  nights 
were  often  spent  in  the  hut  of  Leather-stocking. 
The  intercourse  between  the  three  hunters  was 
maintained  with  a  certain  air  of  mystery,  it  is  true, 


284  THE   PIONEERS. 

but  with  much  zeal  and  apparent  interest  to  all  the 
parties.  Even  Mohegan  seldom  came  to  the  Man 
sion-house,  and  Natty,  never ;  but  Edwards  sought 
every  leisure  moment  to  visit  his  former  abode, 
from  which  he  would  often  return  in  the  gloomy 
hours  of  night,  through  the  snow,  or,  if  detained 
beyond  the  time  at  which  the  family  retired  to  rest, 
with  the  morning  sun.  These  visits  certainly  ex 
cited  much  speculation  in  those  to  whom  they  were 
known,  but  no  comments  were  made,  excepting 
occasionally,  in  whispers  from  Richard,  who  would 
say — 

"  It  is  not  at  all  remarkable ; — a  half-breed  can 
never  be  weaned  from  the  savage  ways,  any  more 
than  a  full-blooded  Indian." 


CHAPTER  XX. 


M  Away  I  nor  let  me  loiter  in  my  song, 

For  we  have  many  a  mountain  'path  to  tread. 


As  the  spring  gradually  approached,  the  im 
mense  piles  of  snow,  that  by  alternate  thaws  and 
frosts,  and  repeated  storms,  had  obtained  a  firm 
ness  that  threatened  a  tiresome  durability,  began 
to  yield  to  the  influence  of  milder  breezes  and  a 
warmer  sun.  The  gates  of  Heaven  at  times  seem 
ed  to  open,  and  a  bland  air  diffused  itself  over  the 
earth,  when  animate  and  inanimate  nature  would 
awaken,  and  for  a  few  hours,  the  gayety  of  spring 
shone  in  every  eye,  and  smiled  on  every  field.  But 
the  shivering  blasts  from  the  north  would  carry 
their  chill  influence  over  the  scene  again,  and  the 
dark  and  gloomy  clouds  that  intercepted  the  rays 
of  the  sun  were  not  more  cold  and  dreary  than 
the  reaction  which  crossed  the  creation.  These 
struggles  between  the  seasons  became,  daily,  more 
frequent,  while  the  earth,  like  a  victim  to  conten- 


•J86  THE    PIONEERS. 

tion,  slowly  lost  the  animated  brilliancy  of  winter, 
without  obtaining  the  decided  aspect  of  spring. 

Several  weeks  were  consumed  in  this  cheerless 
manner,  during  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  country 
gradually  changed  their  pursuits  from  the  social 
and  bustling  movements  of  the  time  of  snow,  to 
the  laborious  and  domestic  engagements  of  the 
coming  season.  The  village  was  no  longer  throng 
ed  with  visiters  ;  the  trade,  that  had  enlivened  the 
shops  for  several  months,  began  to  disappear ;  the 
highways  lost  their  shining  coats  of  beaten  snow 
in  impassable  sloughs,  and  were  deserted  by  the 
gay  and  noisy  travellers  who,  in  sleighs,  had,  dur 
ing  the  winter,  glided  along  their  windings ;  and, 
in  short,  every  thing  seemed  indicative  of  a  mighty 
change,  not  only  in  the  earth  itself,  but  in  those 
also,  who  derived  their  sources  of  comfort  and  hap 
piness  from  her  bosom. 

The  younger  members  of  the  family  in  the  Man 
sion-house,  of  which  Louisa  Grant  was  now  habit 
ually  one,  were  by  no  means  indifferent  observers 
of  these  fluctuating  and  tardy  changes.  While  the 
snow  rendered  the  roads  passable,  they  had  par 
taken  largely  in  the  amusements  of  the  winter, 
which  included  not  only  daily  rides  over  the  moun 
tains,  and  through  every  valley  within  twenty 
miles  of  them,  but  divers  ingenious  and  varied 
sources  of  pleasure,  on  the  bosom  of  their  frozen 
lake.  There  had  been  rides  in  the  equipage  of 
Richard,  when,  with  his  four  horses,  he  had  out 
stripped  the  winds  with  its  speed,  as  it  flew  over 
the  glassy  ice  which  invariably  succeeded  a  thaw. 
Then  the  exciting  and  dangerous"  whirligig"  would 
be  suffered  to  possess  its  moment  of  notice.  Cut 
ters,  drawn  by  a  single  horse,  and  hand-sleds,  im 
pelled  by  the  gentlemen,  on  skates,  would  each  in 
their  turn  be  used ;  and,  in  short,  every  source  of 


THE    PIONEERS.  287 

relief  against  the  tediousness  of  a  winter  in  the 
mountains  was  resorted  to  by  the  family.  Eliza 
beth  was  compelled  to  acknowledge  to  her  father, 
that  the  season,  with  the  aid  of  his  library,  was 
much  less  irksome  than  she  had  anticipated. 

As  exercise  in  the  open  air  was  in  some  de 
gree  necessary  to  the  habits  of  the  family,  when 
the  constant  recurrence  of  frosts  and  thaws  ren 
dered  the  roads,  which  were  dangerous  at  the 
most  favour  able  times,  utterly  impassable  for  wheels, 
saddle  horses  were  used  as  substitutes  for  theii 
other  conveyances.  Mounted  on  small  and  sure  • 
footed  beasts,  the  ladies  would  again  attempt  the 
passages  of  the  mountains,  and  penetrate  into  every 
retired  glen,  where  the  enterprise  of  a  settler  had 
induced  him  to  establish  himself.  In  these  excur 
sions  they  were  attended  by  some  one  or  all  of  the 
gentlemen  of  the  family,  as  their  different  pursuits 
admitted.  Young  Edwards  was  hourly  becoming 
more  familiarized  to  his  situation,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  mingled  in  their  parties,  with  an  uncon 
cern  and  gayety,  that  for  a  short  time,  would,  ap 
parently,  expel  all  unpleasant  recollections  from 
his  mind.  Habit,  and  the  buoyancy  of  youth,  seem 
ed  to  be  getting  the  ascendency  over  the  secret 
causes  of  his  uneasiness ;  though  there  were  mo 
ments,  when  the  same  remarkable  expression  of 
disgust  would  cross  his  intercourse  with  Marma- 
duke,  that  had  distinguished  their  conversations 
in  the  first  days  of  their  acquaintance. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  the  month  of  March,  that 
the  Sheriff  succeeded  in  persuading  his  cousin  and 
her  young  friend  to  accompany  him  in  a  ride  to  a 
hill  that  was  said  to  overhang  the  lake  in  a  manner 
peculiar  to  itself. 

"  Besides,  cousin  Bess,"  continued  the  indefati 
gable  Richard.  "  we  will  stop  and  see  the  c  sugar 


288  THE    PIONEERS. 

bush'  of  Billy  Kirby :  he  is  on  the  east  end  of  the 
Ransom  lot,  making  sugar  for  Jared  Ransom. 
There  is  not  a  better  hand  over  a  kettle  in  the 
county  than  that  same  Kirby.  You  remember, 
'duke,  that  I  had  him  his  first  season,  in  our  own 
camp  ;  and  it  is  not  a  wonder  that  he  knows  some 
thing  of  his  trade." 

"  He's  a  good  chopper,  is  Billy,"  observed  Ben 
jamin,  who  held  the  bridle  of  the  horse  while  the 
Sheriff  mounted ;  "  and  he  handles  an  axe  much 
the  same  as  a  forecastle-man  does  his  marling  spike, 
or  a  tailor  his  goose.  They  say  he'll  lift  a  potash 
kettle  off  the  arch  with  his  own  hands,  thof  I  can't 
say  that  I've  ever  seen  him  do  it  with  my  own 
eyes  ;  but  that  is  the  say.  And  I've  seen  sugar 
of  his  making,  which,  maybe,  was'nt  as  white  as 
an  old  top-gallantsail,  but  which  my  friend  Mis 
tress  Pretty-bones,  within  there,  said  had  the  true 
molasses  smack  to  it ;  and  you  are  not  the  one, 
Squire  Dickens,  to  be  told  that  Mistress  Remark 
able  has  a  remarkable  tooth  for  sweet  things  in  her 
nut  grinder." 

The  loud  laugh  that  succeeded  the  wit  of  Ben 
jamin,  and  in  which  he  participated,  with  no  very 
harmonious  sounds,  himself,  very  fully  illustrated 
the  congenial  temper  which  existed  between  the 
pair.  Most  of  its  point  was,  however,  lost  on  the 
rest  of  the  party,  who  were  either  mounting  their 
horses,  or  assisting  the  ladies  to  do  so,  at  the  mo 
ment.  When  all  were  safely  in  their  saddles,  the 
whole  moved  through  the  village  in  great  order. 
They  paused  for  a  moment,  before  the  door  of 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  until  he  could  bestride  his 
steed,  and  then  issuing  from  the  little  cluster  of 
houses,  they  took  one  of  the  principal  of  those 
highways  that  centred  in  the  village. 

As  each  night  brought  with  it  a  severe  frost, 


THE    PIONEERS.  289 

which  the  heat  of  the  succeeding  day  served  to 
dissipate,  the  equestrians  were  compelled  to  pro 
ceed  singly  along  the  margin  of  the  road,  where 
the  turf,  and  firmness  of  the  ground,  gave  their 
horses  a  secure  footing.  Very  trifling  indications 
of  approaching  vegetation  were  to  be  seen,  the 
surface  of  the  earth  presenting  a  cold,  wet,  and 
Cheerless  aspect  that  almost  chilled  the  blood  of 
the  spectator.  The  snow  yet  lay  scattered  over 
most  of  those  distant  clearings  that  were  visible  in 
different  parts  of  the  mountains  ;  though  here  and 
there  an  opening  might  be  seen,  where,  as  the 
white  covering  yielded  to  the  season,  the  bright 
and  lively  green  of  the  wheat  served  to  enkindle 
the  hopes  of  the  husbandman.  Nothing  could  be 
more  marked  than  the  contrast  between  the  earth 
and  the  heavens ;  for,  while  the  former  presented 
the  dreary  view  that  we  have  described,  a  warm 
and  invigorating  sun  was  dispensing  his  heats  from 
a  sky  that  contained  but  a  solitary  cloud  that  lin 
gered  near  the  mountain,  and  through  an  atmo 
sphere  that  softened  the  colours  of  the  sensible  hori 
zon  until  it  shone  like  a  sea  of  virgin  blue. 

Richard  led  the  way,  on  this,  as  on  all  other  oc 
casions,  that  did  not  require  the  exercise  of  unu 
sual  abilities  ;  and  as  he  moved  along,  he  essayed 
to  enliven  the  party  with  the  sounds  of  his  expe 
rienced  voice. 

"  This  is  your  true  sugar  weather,  'duke,"  he 
cried ;  "  A  frosty  night  and  a  sunshiny  day.  I 
warrant  me  that  the  sap  runs  like  a  mill-tail  up  the 
maples  this  warm  morning.  It  is  a  pity,  Judge, 
that  you  do  not  introduce  a  little  more  science  into 
the  manufactory  of  sugar  among  your  tenants.  It 
might  be  done,  sir,  without  knowing  as  much  as 
Doctor  Franklin — it  might  be  done,  Judge  Tem 
ple." 

25 


290  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  The  first  object  of  my  solicitude,  friend  Jones," 
returned  Marmaduke,  "  is  to  protect  the  sources 
of  this  great  mine  of  comfort  and  wealth  from  the 
extravagance  of  the  people  themselves.  When 
this  important  point  shall  be  achieved,  it  will  be 
in  season  to  turn  our  attention  to  an  improvement 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  article.  But  thou  know- 
est,  Richard,  that  I  have  already  subjected  our  su 
gar  to  the  process  of  the  refiner,  and  that  the  re 
sult  has  produced  loaves  as  white  as  the  snow  on 
yon  fields,  and  possessing  the  saccharine  quality 
in  its  utmost  purity." 

"  Saccharine,  or  turpentine,  or  any  other  'ine, 
Judge  Temple,  you  have  never  made  a  loaf  larger 
than  a  good  sized  sugar-plum,",  returned  the  She 
riff.  "  Now,  sir,  I  assert  that  no  experiment  is 
fairly  tried,  until  it  be  reduced  to  practical  pur 
poses.  If,  sir,  I  owned  a  hundred,  or,  for  that 
matter,  two  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land,  as  you 
do,  I  would  build  a  sugar-house  in  the  village  ;  I 
would  invite  learned  men  to  an  investigation  of  the 
subject, — and  such  are  easily  to  be  found,  sir  ;  yes, 
sir,  they  are  not  difficult  to  find, — men  who  unite 
theory  with  practice  ;  and  I  would  select  a 
wood  of  young  and  thrifty  trees ;  and  instead  of 
making  loaves  of  the  size  of  a  lump  of  «andy, 
dam'me,  'duke,  but  I'd  have  them  as  big  as  a  hay 
cock." 

"  And  purchase  the  cargo  of  one  of  those  ships 
that,  they  say,  are  going  to  China,"  cried  Eliza 
beth  ;  "  turn  your  potash-kettles  into  tea-cups,  the 
scows  on  the  lake  into  saucers  :  bake  your  cake  in 
yonder  lime-kiln,  and  invite  the  county  to  a  tea- 
party.  How  wonderful  are  the  projects  of  genius ! 
Really,  sir,  the  world  is  of  opinion  that  Judge 
Temple  has  tried  the  experiment  fairly,  though  he 
did  not  cause  his  loaves  to  be  cast  in  moulds  of  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  291 

magnitude  that  would  suit  your  magnificent  con 
ceptions." 

"  You  may  laugh,  cousin  Elizabeth — you  may 
laugh,  madam,"  retorted  Richard,  turning  himself 
so  much  in  his  saddle  as  to  face  the  party,  and 
making  extremely  dignified  gestures  with  his  whip ; 
"  but  I  appeal  to  common  sense,  good  sense,  or, 
what  is  of  more  importance  than  either,  to  the  sense 
of  taste,  which  is  one  of  the  five  natural  senses, 
whether  a  big  loaf  of  sugar  is  not  likely  to  contain 
a  better  illustration  of  a  proposition  than  such  a 
lump  as  one  of  your  Dutch  women  puts  under  her 
tongue  when  she  drinks  her  tea.  There  are  two 
ways  of  doing  every  thing  ;  the  right  way,  and  the 
wrong  way.  You  make  sugar  now,  I  will  admit, 
and  you  may,  possibly,  make  loaf-sugar;  but  I 
take  the  question  to  be,  whether  you  make  the 
best  possible  sugar,  and  into  the  best  possible 
loaves." 

"  Thou  art  very  right,  Richard,"  observed  Mai- 
maduke,  with  a  gravity  in  his  air,  that  proved  how 
much  he  was  interested  in  the  subject.  "  It  is  ve 
ry  true  that  we  manufacture  sugar,  but  the  inquiry 
is  quite  useful  to  make,  how  much  ?  and  in  what 
manner?  I  hope  to  live  to  see  the  day,  when 
farms  and  plantations  shall  be  devoted  to  this 
branch  of  business.  Little  is  known  concerning 
the  properties  of  the  tree  itself,  the  source  of  all 
this  wealth ;  how  much  it  may  be  improved  by 
cultivation,  by  the  use  of  the  hoe  and  plough." 

"  Hoe  and  plough,"  roared  the  Sheriff ; — "  would 
you  set  a  man  hoeing  round  the  root  of  a  maple 
like  this," — pointing  to  one  of  those  noble  trees, 
that  occur  so  frequently  in  that  part  of  the  coun 
try. — "  Hoeing  trees  !  are  you  mad,  'duke  ?  This 
is  next  to  hunting  for  coal !  Poh !  poh  !  my  dear 
cousin,  hear  reason,  and  leave  the  management  of 


292  THE   PIONEERS. 

the  sugar-bush  to  me.  Here  is  Mr.  Le  Quoi,  he 
has  been  in  the  West  Indies,  and  seen  sugar  made 
often.  Let  him  give  an  account  of  how  it  is  made 
there,  and  you  will  hear  the  philosophy  of  the 
thing. — Well,  Monsieur,  how  is  it  that  you  make 
sugar  in  the  West  Indies ;  any  thing  in  Judge 
Temple's  fashion  ?" 

The  gentleman  to  whom  this  query  was  put  was 
mounted  on  a  small  horse,  of  no  very  fiery  tem 
perament,  and  was  riding  with  his  stirrups  so  short, 
as  to  bring  his  knees,  while  the  animal  rose  a  small 
ascent  in  the  wood-path  they  were  now  travelling, 
into  a  somewhat  hazardous  vicinity  to  his  chin. 
There  was  no  room  for  gesticulation  or  grace  in 
the  delivery  of  his  reply,  for  the  mountain  was 
steep  and  slippery ;  and  although  the  Gaul  had  an 
eye  of  uncommon  magnitude  on  either  side  of  his 
face,  they  did  not  seem  to  be  half  competent  to 
forewarn  him  of  the  impediments  of  bushes,  twigs, 
and  fallen  trees,  that  were  momentarily  crossing 
his  path.  With  one  hand  employed  in  averting 
these  dangers,  and  the  other  grasping  his  bridle,  to 
check  an  untoward  speed  that  his  horse  was  as 
suming,  the  native  of  France  responded  as  fol 
lows — 

"  Sucre  !  dey  do  make  eet  in  Martinique  :  mais 
— mais  eet  is  not  from  von  tree ;  eet  is  from — ah 
— ah — vat  you  call — Je  voudrois  que  ces  chemins 
fussent  au  diable — vat  you  call — von  steeck  pour 
le  promenade." 

"  Cane,"  said  Elizabeth,  smiling  at  the  impreca 
tion  which  the  wary  Frenchman  supposed  was  un 
derstood  only  by  himself. 

"  Oui,  Mam'selle,  cane." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  Richard,  "  cane  is  the  vulgar 
name  for  it,  but  the  real  term  is  saccharum  offici- 
narum  ;  and  what  we  call  the  sugar,  or  hard  ma- 


THE    PIONEERS.  293 

pie,  is  acer  saccharinum.  These  are  the  learned 
names,  Monsieur,  and  are  such  as,  doubtless,  you 
well  understand." 

"  Is  this  Greek  or  Latin,  Mr.  Edwards  ?"  whis 
pered  the  heiress  to  the  youth,  who  was  opening 
a  passage  for  herself  and  her  companions  through 
the  bushes — "  or  perhaps  it  is  a  still  more  learned 
language,  for  an  interpretation  of  which  we  must 
look  to  you." 

The  dark  eye  of  the  young  man  glanced  towards 
the  maiden,  with  a  keenness  bordering  on  feroci 
ty  ;  but  its  expression  changed,  in  a  moment,  to 
the  smiling  playfulness  of  her  ow7n  face,  as  he  an 
swered — 

"  I  shall  remember  your  doubts,  Miss  Temple, 
when  next  I  visit  my  old  friend  Mohegan,  and  ei 
ther  his  skill,  or  that  of  Leather-stocking,  shall 
solve  them." 

"  And  are  you,  then,  really  ignorant  of  their 
language  ?"  asked  Elizabeth,  with  an  impetuosity 
that  spoke  a  lively  interest  in  the  reply. 

"  Not  absolutely  ;  but  the  deep  learning  of  Mr. 
Jones  is  more  familiar  to  me,  or  even  the  polite 
masquerade  of  Monsieur  Le  Quoi." 

"  Do  you  speak  French  ?"  said  the  lady,  with  a 
quickness  that  equalled  her  former  interest. 

"  It  is  a  common  language  with  the  Iroquois,  and 
through  the  Canadas,"  he  answered,  with  an  equi 
vocal  smile. 

"  Ah  !  but  they  are  Mingoes,  and  your  enemies." 

"  It  will  be  well  for  me,  if  I  have  no  worse," 
said  the  youth,  dashing  ahead  with  his  horse,  and 
thus  putting  an  end  to  the  evasive  dialogue. 

The  discourse,  however,  was  maintained  with 

great   vigour  by  Richard,  until   they  reached  an 

open  wood  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  where 

the  hemlocks  and  pines  totally  disappeared,  and  a 

25* 


294  THE    PIONEERS. 

grove  of  the  very  trees  that  formed  the  subject  of 
debate  covered  the  earth  with  their  tall,  straight 
trunks  and  spreading  branches,  in  stately  pride. 
The  underwood  had  been  entirely  removed  from 
this  grove,  or  bush,  as  in  conjunction  with  the  sim 
ple  arrangements  for  boiling,  it  was  called,  and  a 
wide  space 'of  many  acres  was  cleared,  which 
might  be  likened  to  the  dome  of  a  mighty  temple, 
to  which  the  maples  with  their  stems  formed  the 
columns,  their  tops  composing  the  capitals,  and  the 
heavens  the  arch.  A  deep  and  careless  incision 
had  been  made  into  each  tree,  near  its  root,  into 
which  little  spouts,  formed  of  the  bark  of  the  alder, 
or  of  the  sumach,  were  fastened ;  and  a  trough, 
roughly  dug  out  of  the  linden,  or  basswood,  was 
lying  at  the  root  of  each  tree,  to  catch  the  sap  that 
flowed  from  this  extremely  wasteful  and  inartificial 
arrangement. 

The  party  paused  a  moment,  on  gaining  the  flat, 
to  breathe  their  horses,  and,  as  the  scene  was  en 
tirely  new  to  several  of  their  number,  to  view  the 
manner  of  collecting  the  fluid.  A  fine  powerful 
voice  aroused  them  from  their  momentary  silence, 
as  it  rung  under  the  branches  of  the  trees,  singing 
the  following  words  of  that  inimitable  doggrel, 
whose  verses,  if  extended,  would  reach  from  the 
waters  of  the  Connecticut  to  the  shores  of  Ontario. 
The  tune  was,  of  course,  that  familiar  air,  which, 
although  it  is  said  to  have  been  first  applied  to  his 
nation  in  derision,  circumstances  have  since  ren 
dered  so  glorious,  that  no  American  ever  hears  its 
jingling  cadence  without  feeling  a  thrill  at  his 
heart. 


''  The  Eastern  States  be  full  of  men, 
The  Western  full  of  woods,  Sir, 

The  hills  be  like  a  cattle  pen, 
The  roads  bo  full  of  goods,  sir  I 


THE    PIONEERS.  295 

Then  flow  away,  my  sweety  sap, 

And  I  will  make  you  boily  ; 
Nor  catch  a  woodman's  hasty  nap, 

For  fear  you  should  get  roily. 

*  The  maple  tree's  a  precious  one, 

'Tis  fuel,  food,  and  timber  ; 
And  when  your  stiff  day's  work  is  done, 

Its  juice  will  make  you  limber. 
Then  flow  away,  &c. 

"  And  what's  a  man  without  his  glass, 

His  wife  without  her  tea,  sir  I 
But  neither  cup  nor  mug  will  pass, 

Without  this  honey-bee,  sir  ! 
Then  flow  away,"  &c. 

During  the  execution  of  this  sonorous  ditty, 
Richard  kept  time  with  his  whip  on  the  mane  of 
his  charger,  accompanying  the  gestures  with  a  cor 
responding  movement  of  his  head  and  body.  To 
wards  the  close  of  the  song,  he  was  overheard 
humming  the  chorus,  and  at  its  last  repetition,  to 
strike  in  at  "  sweety  sap,"  and  carry  a  second 
through,  with  a  prodigious  addition  to  the  "  effect" 
of  the  noise,  if  not  to  that  of  the  harmony. 

"  Well  done  us !"  roared  the  Sheriff,  on  the 
same  key  with  the  tune  ;  "  a  very  good  song,  Billy 
Kirby,  and  very  well  sung.  Where  got  you  the 
words,  lad  ?  is  there  more  of  it,  and  can  you  fur 
nish  me  with  a  copy  ?" 

The  sugar-boiler,  who  was  busy  in  his  "  camp," 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  equestrians,  turned  his 
head  with  great  indifference,  and  surveyed  the 
party,  as  they  approached,  with  admirable  coolness. 
To  each  individual,  as  he  or  she  rode  close  by  him, 
he  gave  a  nod  that  was  extremely  good-natured 
and  affable,  but  which  partook  largely  of  the  vir 
tue  of  equality,  for  not  even  to  the  ladies  did  he  in 
the  teast  vary  his  mode  of  salutation,  by  touching 


296  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  apology  for  a  hat  that  he  wore,  or  by  any  othei 
motion  than  the  one  we  have  mentioned. 

"How  goes  it,  how  goes  it,  Sheriff  ?"  said  the 
wood-chopper  ;  "  what's  the  good  word  to-day  ?" 

"  Why,  much  as  usual,  Billy,"  returned  Ri 
chard.  "  But  how  is  this !  where  are  your  four 
kettles,  and  your  troughs,  and  your  iron  coolers  ? 
Do  you  make  sugar  in  this  slovenly  way  !  I  thought 
you  were  one  of  the  best  sugar-boilers  in  the 
county." 

"  I'm  all  that,  Squire  Jones,"  said  Kirby,  who 
continued  his  occupation  ;  "  I'll  turn  my  back  to 
no  man  in  the  Otsego  hills,  for  chopping  and  log 
ging  ;  for  boiling  down  the  maple  sap ;  for  tending 
brick-kiln  ;  splitting  out  rails ;  making  potash,  and 
parling  too  ;  or  hoeing  corn.  Though  I  keep  my 
self,  pretty  much,  to  the  first  business,  seeing  that 
the  axe  comes  most  nateral  to  me." 

"  You  be  von  Jack  All-trade,  Mister  Beel,"  said 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi. 

"  How  ?"  said  Kirby,  looking  up,  with  a  simpli 
city  which,  coupled  with  his  gigantic  frame  and 
manly  face,  was  a  little  ridiculous — "  if  you  be  for 
trade,  Mounsher,  here  is  some  as  good  sugar  as 
you'll  find  the  season  through.  It's  as  clear  from 
dirt  as  the  Garman  Flats  is  from  stumps,  and  it  has 
the  raal  maple  flavour.  Such  stuff  would  sell  in 
York  for  candy." 

The  Frenchman  approached  the  place  where 
Kirby  had  deposited  his  cakes  of  sugar,  under  the 
cover  of  a  bark  roof,  and  commenced  the  examina 
tion  of  the  article,  with  the  eye  of  one  who  well  un 
derstood  its  value.  Marmaduke  had  dismounted,  and 
was  viewing  the  works  and  the  trees  very  closely, 
and  not  without  frequent  expressions  of  dissatis 
faction  at  the  careless  manner  in  which  the  manu 
facture  was  conducted. 


THE    PIONEERS.  297 

"  You  have  much  experience  in  these  things, 
Kirby,"  he  said ;  "  what  is  the  course  you  pursue 
in  making  your  sugar?  I  see  that  you  have  but 
two  kettles." 

"  Two  is  as  good  as  two  thousand,  Judge ;  I'm 
none  of  your  polite  sugar-makers,  that  boils  for  the 
great  folks  ;  but  if  the  raal  sweet  maple  is  wanted, 
I  can  answer  your  turn.  First,  I  choose,  and  then 
I  tap  my  trees  ;  say  along  about  the  last  of  Febru 
ary,  or  in  these  mountains,  maybe  not  afore  the 
middle  of  March ;  but  any  way,  just  as  the  sap  be 
gins  to  cleverly  run — " 

"  Well,  in  this  choice,"  interrupted  Marmaduke, 
"are  you  governed  by  any  outward  signs,  that 
prove  the  quality  of  the  tree  ?" 

"  Why,  there's  judgment  in  all  things,"  said 
Kirby,  stirring  the  liquor  in  his  kettles  briskly. 
"  There's  something  in  knowing  when  and  how 
much  to  stir  the  pot.  It's  a  thing  that  must  be 
larnt.  Rome  wasn't  built  in  a  day,  nor,  for  that 
matter,  Templetown  'ither,  though  it  may  be  said 
to  be  a  quick- growing  place.  I  never  put  my  axe 
into  a  stunty  tree,  or  one  that  hasn't  a  good,  fresh- 
looking  bark;  for  trees  have  disorders  just  like 
creaters :  and  where's  the  policy  of  taking  a  tree 
that's  sickly,  any  more  than  you'd  choose  a  foun 
dered  horse  to  ride  post,  or  an  overheated  ox  to 
do  your  logging — " 

"  All  this  is  true  :  But  what  are  your  signs  of 
illness  ?  how  do  you  distinguish  a  tree  that  is  well 
from  one  that  is  diseased  ?" 

"  How  does  the  doctor  tell  who  has  fever,  and 
who  colds  ?"  interrupted  Richard — "  by  examining 
the  skin,  and  feeling  the  pulse,  to  be  sure." 

"  Sartain,"  continued  Billy,  "the  Squire  an't 
far  out  of  the  way.  It's  by  the  look  of  the  thing, 
sure  enough. — Well,  when  the  sap  begins  to  get  a 


298  THE    PIONEERS. 

free  run,  I  hang  over  the  kettles,  and  set  up  the 
bush.  My  first  boiling  I  push  pretty  smart,  till  I 
get  the  vartoo  of  the  sap  ;  but  when  it  begins  to 
grow  of  a  molasses  nater,  like  this  in  the  kettle, 
one  musn't  drive  the  fires  too  hard,  or  you'll  burn 
the  sugar :  and  burny  sugar  is  always  bad  to  the 
taste,  let  it  be  never  so  sweet.  So  you  ladle  out 
from  one  kettle  into  the  other,  till  it  gets  so,  when 
you  put  the  stirring  stick  into  it,  that  it  will  draw 
into  a  thread :  when  it  takes  a  kerful  hand  to  ma 
nage  it.  There  is  a  way  to  drain  it  off,  after  it 
has  grained,  by  putting  clay  into  the  pans  :  but  it 
is'nt  always  practysed  :  some  doos,  and  some 
doosn't. — Well,  Mounsher,  be  we  likely  to  make 
a  trade  ?" 

"  I  vill  give  you,  Mister  Beel,  for  von  pound — 
dix  sous." 

"  No,  I  expect  cash  for't :  I  never  dicker  away 
my  sugar.  But,  seeing  that  it's  you,  Mounsher," 
said  Billy,  with  a  coaxing  smile,  "  I'll  agree  to  take 
a  gallon  of  rum,  and  cloth  enough  for  two  shirts,  if 
you  will  take  the  molasses  in  the  bargain.  It's  raal 
good.  I  wouldn't  deceive  you  or  any  man :  and 
to  my  drinking  it's  about  the  best  molasses  I  ever 
seed  come  out  of  a  sugar-bush." 

"  Mr.  Le  Quoi  has  offered  you  ten  pence,"  said 
young  Edwards. 

The  manufacturer  stared  at  the  speaker,  with  an 
air  of  great  freedom,  but  made  no  reply. 

"  Oui,"  said  the  Frenchman,  "  ten  penny.  Je 
vous  remercie,  Monsieur :  ah  !  mon  Anglois !  je 
1'oublie  toujours."1" 

The  wood-chopper  looked  from  one  to  the  other, 
with  some  displeasure  :  and  evidently  imbibed  the 
opinion  that  they  were  amusing  themselves  at  his 
expense.  He  seized  the  enormous  ladle,  which 
was  lying  in  one  of  his  kettles,  and  began  to  stir 


THE    PIONEERS.  299 

the  boiling  liquid  with  great  diligence.  After  a 
moment  passed  in  dipping  the  ladle  full,  and  then 
raising  it  on  high,  as  the  thick  rich  fluid  fell  hack 
into  the  kettle,  he  suddenly  gave  it  a  whirl,  as  if  to 
cool  what  yet  remained,  and  offered  the  bowl  to 
Mr.  Le  Quoi,  saying — 

"  Taste  that,  Mounsher,  and  I  guess  you  will 
say  it  is  worth  more  than  you  offer.  The  molasses 
itself  would  fetch  twice  the  money." 

The  complaisant  Frenchman,  after  several  timid 
efforts  to  trust  his  lips  in  contact  with  the  bowl  of 
the  ladle,  got  a  good  swallow  of  the  scalding  liquid. 
He  clapped  his  hand  on  his  breast,  and  looked 
most  piteously  at  the  ladies,  for  a  single  instant, 
and  then,  to  use  the  language  of  Billy,  when  he 
afterwards  recounted  the  tale,  "  no  drumsticks  ever 
went  faster  on  the  skin  of  a  sheep,  than  the  French 
man's  legs,  for  a  round  or  two  :  and  then,  such 
swearing  and  spitting,  in  French,  you  never  seen. 
But  it's  a  knowing  one,  from  the  old  countries,  that 
thinks  to  get  his  jokes  smoothly  over  a  Yankee 
wood-chopper." 

The  air  of  innocence  with  which  Kirby  resumed 
/he  occupation  of  stirring  the  contents  of  his  kettle, 
would  have  completely  deceived  the  spectators,  as 
to  his  agency  in  the  temporary  suffering  of  Mr.  Le 
Quoi,  had  not  the  reckless  feflow  thrust  his  tongue 
into  his  cheek,  and  cast  his  eyes  over  the  party, 
with  a  simplicity  of  expression  that  was  too  ex 
quisite  to  be  true  to  nature.  Mr.  Le  Quoi  soon 
recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  and  his  decorum ; 
he  briefly  apologized  to  the  ladies  for  one  or  two 
very  intemperate  expressions,  that  had  escaped  him 
in  a  moment  of  extraordinary  excitement,  and  re 
mounting  his  horse,  he  continued  in  the  back' 
ground  during  the  remainder  of  their  visit,  the  wv 
of  Kirby  putting  a  violent  termination,  at  once,  to 


300  THE    PIONEERS. 

all  negotiations  on  the  subject  of  trade.  During 
all  this  time,  Marmaduke  had  been  wandering 
about  the  grove,  making  his  observations  on  his 
favourite  trees,  and  the  wasteful  manner  in  which 
the  wood-chopper  conducted  his  manufacture. 

"  It  grieves  me  to  witness  the  extravagance  that 
pervades  this  country,"  said  the  Judge,  "  where 
the  settlers  trifle  with  the  blessings  they  might  en 
joy,  with  the  prodigality  of  successful  adventurers. 
You  are  not  exempt  from  the  censure  yourself, 
Kirby,  for  you  make  dreadful  wounds  in  these 
trees,  where  a  small  incision  would  effect  the  same 
object.  I  earnestly  beg  you  will  remember,  that 
they  are  the  growth  of  centuries,  and  when  once 
gone,  none  living  will  see  their  loss  remedied." 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,  Judge,"  returned  the  man 
he  addressed :  "  It  seems  to  me,  if  there's  a  plenty 
of  any  thing  in  this  mountaynious  country,  it's  the 
trees.  If  there's  any  sin  in  chopping  them,  I've  a 
pretty  heavy  account  to  settle ;  for  I've  chopped 
over  the  best  half  of  a  thousand  acres,  with  my 
own  hands,  counting  both  Varmount  and  York 
states ;  and  I  hope  to  live  to  finish  the  whull,  be 
fore  I  lay  up  my  axe.  Chopping  comes  quite  na- 
teral  to  me,  and  I  wish  no  other  empl'yment;  but 
Jared  Ransom  said  that  he  thought  the  sugar  was 
likely  to  be  scurce  this  season,  seeing  that  so  ma 
ny  folks  was  coming  into  the  settlement,  and  so  I 
concluded  to  take  the  '  bush'  on  sheares,  for  this 
one  spring.  What's  the  best  news,  Judge,  con- 
sarning  ashes  ?  do  pots  hold  so  that  a  man  can  live 
by  them  still  ?  I  s'pose  that  they  will  if  they  keep 
on  fighting." 

"  Thou  reasonest  with  judgment,  William,"  re 
turned  Marmaduke.  "So  long  as  the  old  world 
is  to  be  convulsed  with  wars,  so  long  will  the  har 
vest  in  America  continue." 


THE    PIONEERS*  301 

"  Well,  it's  an  ill  wind,  Judge,  that  blows  no 
body  any  good.  I'm  sure  the  country  is  in  a  thriv 
ing  way ;  and,  though  I  know  you  calkilate  greatly 
on  the  trees,  setting  as  much  store  by  them  as 
some  men  would  by  their  children,  yet,  to  my 
eyes  they  are  a  sore  sight  at  any  time,  unless  I'm 
privileged  to  work  my  will  on  them;  in  which 
case,  I  can't  say  but  they  are  more  to  my  liking, 
I  have  heern  the  settlers  from  the  old  countries 
say,  that  their  rich  men  keep  great  oaks  and  elms, 
that  wrould  make  a  barrel  of  pots  to  the  tree,  stand 
ing  round  their  doors  and  humsteads,  and  scattered 
over  their  farms,  just  to  look  on.  Now,  I  call  no 
country  much  improved,  that  is  pretty  well  cover 
ed  with  trees.  Stumps  are  a  different  thing,  for 
they  don't  shade  the  land ;  and  besides,  if  you  dig 
them,  they  make  a  fence  that  will  turn  any  thing 
bigger  than  a  hog,  being  grand  for  breachy  cattle." 

"  Our  notions  on  such  subjects  vary  much,  in 
different  countries,"  said  Marmaduke ;  "  but  it  is 
not  as  ornaments  that  I  value  the  noble  trees  of 
this  country ;  it  is  for  their  usefulness.  We  are 
stripping  the  forests,  as  if  a  single  year  would  re 
place  what  we  destroy.  But  the  hour  approaches, 
when  the  laws  will  take  notice  of  not  only  the 
woods  but  the  game  they  contain  also." 

With  this  consoling  reflection,  Marmaduke  re 
mounted,  and  the  equestrians  passed  the  sugar- 
camp,  on  their  way  to  the  promised  landscape  of 
Richard.  The  wood-chopper  was  left  alone,  in 
the  bosom  of  the  forest,  to  pursue  his  labours.  Eli 
zabeth  turned  her  head,  when  they  reached  the 
point  where  they  were  to  descend  the  mountain, 
and  thought  that  the  slow  fires,  that  were  glimmering 
under  his  enormous  kettles,  his  little  brush  shelter, 
covered  with  pieces  of  hemlock  bark,  his  gigantic 
size,  as  he  wielded  his  ladle  with  a  steady  and 
26 


302  THE    PIONEERS. 

knowing  air,  aided  by  the  back-ground  of  stately 
trees,  with  their  spouts  and  troughs,  formed,  alto 
gether,  no  unreal  picture  of  human  life  in  its  first 
stages  of  civilization.  Perhaps  whatever  the  scene 
possessed  of  a  romantic  character  was  not  injured 
by  the  powerful  tones  of  Kirby's  voice,  ringing 
through  the  woods,  as  he  again  awoke  his  strains 
to  another  tune,  which  was  but  little  more  scien 
tific  than  the  former.  All  that  she  understood  of 
the  words,  were — 

"  And  when  the  proud  forest  is  falling 
To  my  oxen  cheerfully  calling, 
From  morn  until  night  I  am  bawling 

Woe,  back  there,  and  hoy  and  gee ; 
Till  our  labour  is  mutually  ended, 
By  my  strength  and  cattle  befriended, 
And  against  the  musquitoes  defended, 

By  the  bark  of  the  walnut-tree. — 

"  Away  !  then,  you  lads  who  would  buy  land 
Choose  the  oak  that  grows  on  the  high  laui, 
Or  the  silvery  pine  on  the  dry  land, 
It  matter?  but  little  to  ma  » 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


Speed  I  Malise,  speed  I  such  cause  of  haste 
Thine  active  sinews  never  brac'd." 

Scott. 


THE  roads  of  Otsego,  if  we  except  the  principal 
highways,  were,  at  the  early  day  of  our  tale,  but 
little  better  than  wood-paths  of  unusual  width. 
The  high  trees  that  were  growing  on  the  very 
verge  of  the  wheel-tracks  excluded  the  sun's  rays, 
unless  at  meridian,  and  the  slowness  of  the  evapo 
ration,  united  with  the  rich  mould  of  vegetable  de 
composition,  that  covered  the  whole  country,  to  the 
depth  of  several  inches,  occasioned  but  an  indiffer 
ent  foundation  for  the  footing  of  travellers.  Added 
to  these,  there  were  the  inequalities  of  a  natural 
surface,  and  the  constant  recurrence  of  enormous 
and  slippery  roots,  that  were  laid  bare  by  the  re 
moval  of  the  light  soil,  together  with  stumps  of 
trees,  to  make  a  passage  not  only  difficult  but  dan 
gerous.  Yet  the  riders,  among  these  numerous 
obstructions,  which  were  such  as  would  terrify  an 
unpractised  eye,  gave  no  demonstrations  of  unea 
siness,  as  their  horses  toiled  through  the  sloughs, 
or  trotted  with  uncertain  paces  along  their  dark 
route.  In  many  places,  the  marks  on  the  trees 
were  the  only  indications  of  a  road,  with,  perhaps, 
an  occasional  remnant  of  pine,  that,  by  being  cut 


304  THE   PIONEERS. 

close  to  the  earth,  so  as  leave  nothing  visible  but 
its  base  of  roots,  spreading  for  twenty  feet  in  every 
direction,  was  apparently  placed  there  as  a  beacon, 
to  warn  the  traveller  that  it  was  the  centre  of  the 
highway. 

Into  one  of  these  roads  the  active  Sheriff  led  the 
way,  first  striking  out  of  the  footpath,  by  which 
they  had  descended  from  the  sugar-bush,  across 
a  little  bridge,  formed  of  round  logs  laid  loosely  on 
sleepers  of  pine,  in  which  large  openings  were  fre 
quent,  and  in  one  instance,  of  a  formidable  width. 
The  nag  of  Richard,  when  it  reached  this  barrier, 
laid  its  nose  along  the  logs,  and  stepped  across  the 
difficult  passage  with  the  sagacity  of  a  man ;  but 
the  blooded  filly  which  Miss  Temple  rode  disdain 
ed  so  humble  a  movement.  She  made  a  step  or 
two  with  an  unusual  caution,  and  then  on  reaching 
the  broadest  opening,  obedient  to  the  curb  and 
whip  of  her  fearless  mistress,  she  bounded  across 
the  dangerous  pass  with  the  activity  of  a  squirrel. 

"  Gently,  gently,  my  child,"  said  Marmaduke, 
who  was  following  in  the  manner  of  Richard — • 
"  this  is  not  a  country  for  equestrian  feats.  Much 
prudence  is  requisite  to  journey  through  our  rough 
paths  with  safety.  Thou  mayst  practise  thy  skill 
in  horsemanship  on  the  plains  of  New-Jersey  with 
safety,  but  in  the  hills  of  Otsego  they  must  be  sus 
pended  for  a  time." 

"  I  may  as  well,  then,  relinquish  my  saddle  at 
once,  dear  sir,"  returned  his  daughter;  "  for  if  it  is 
to  be  laid  aside  until  this  wild  country  be  improved, 
old  age  will  overtake  me,  and  put  an  end  to  what 
you  term  my  equestrian  feats." 

"  Say  not  so,  my  child,"  returned  her  father ; 
"but  if  thou  venturest  again,  as  in  crossing  this 
bridge,  old  age  will  never  overtake  thee,  but  I 
shall  be  left  to  mourn  thee,  cut  off  in  thy  pride, 


THE    PIONEERS.  305 

my  Elizabeth.  If  thou  hadst  seen  this  district  of 
country,  as  I  did,  when  it  lay  in  the  sleep  of  na 
ture,  and  witnessed  its  rapid  changes,  as  it  awoke 
to  supply  the  wants  of  man,  thou  wouldst  curb  thy 
impatience  for  a  little  time,  though  thou  shouldst 
not  check  thy  steed." 

"  I  have  a  remembrance  of  hearing  you  speak, 
sir,  of  your  first  visit  to  these  woods,  but  the  recol 
lection  of  it  is  faint,  and  blended  with  the  confused 
images  of  childhood.  Wild  and  unsettled  as  it  may 
yet  seem,  it  must  have  been  a  thousand  times 
more  dreary  then.  Will  you  repeat,  dear  sir, 
what  you  then  thought  of  your  enterprise,  and 
what  you  felt  ?" 

During  this  speech  of  Elizabeth,  which  was  ut 
tered  with  the  interested  fervour  of  affection, 
young  Edwards  rode  more  closely  to  the  side  of 
the  Judge,  and  bent  his  dark  eyes  on  his  counte 
nance  with  an  expression  that  seemed  to  read  his 
thoughts. 

"  Thou  wast  then  young,  my  child,  but  must  re 
member  when  I  left  thee  and  thy  mother,  to  take 
my  first  survey  of  these  uninhabited  mountains,"- 
said  Marmaduke.  "  But  thou  dost  not  feel  all  the 
secret  motives  that  can  urge  a  man  to  endure  pri 
vations  in  order  to  accumulate  wealth.  In  my 
case  they  have  not  been  trifling,  and  God  has  been 
pleased  to  smile  on  my  efforts.  If  I  have  encoun 
tered  pain,  famine,  and  'disease,  in  accomplishing 
the  settlement  of  this  rough  territory,  I  have  not 
the  misery  of  failure  to  add  to  the  grievances." 

"  Famine  !"  echoed  Elizabeth  ;  "  I  thought  this 
was  the  land  of  abundance  !  had  you  famine  to 
contend  with  ?" 

"  Even  so,  my  child,"  said  her  father.  "  Those 
who  look  around  them  now,  and  see  the  loads  of 
j>  -«iuce  that  issue  out  of  every  wild  path  in  these 
26* 


306  THE    PIONEERS. 

mountains,  during  the  season  of  travelling,  wiL 
hardly  credit  that  no  more  than  five  years  have 
elapsed,  since  the  tenants  of  these  woods  were 
compelled  to  eat  the  scanty  fruits  of  the  forest  to 
sustain  life,  and,  with  their  unpractised  skill,  to 
hunt  the  beasts  as  food  for  their  starving  families." 

"  Ay !"  cried  Richard,  who  happened  to  over 
hear  the  last  of  this  speech,  between  the  notes  of 
the  wood-chopper's  song,  which  he  was  endeavour 
ing  to  breathe  aloud ;  "  that  was  the  starving-time, 
cousin  Bess.  I  grew  as  lank  as  a  weasel  that  fall, 
and  my  face  was  as  pale  as  one  of  your  fever-and- 
ague  visages.  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  there,  fell  away 
like  a  pumpkin  in  drying ;  nor  do  I  think  you  have 
got  fairly  over  it  yet,  Monsieur.  Benjamin,  I 
thought,  bore  it  with  a  worse  grace  than  any  of 
the  family,  for  he  swore  it  was  harder  to  endure 
than  a  short  allowance  in  the  calm  latitudes.  Ben 
jamin  is  a  sad  fellow  to  swear,  if  you  starve  him 
ever  so  little.  I  had  half  a  mind  to  quit  you  then, 
'duke,  and  go  into  Pennsylvania  to  fatten ;  but, 
damn  it,  thinks  I,  we  are  sisters'  children,  and  I 
'will  live  or  die  with  him,  after  all." 

"  I  do  not  forget  thy  kindness,"  said  Marma- 
duke,  "  nor  that  we  are  of  one  blood." 

"  But,  my  dear  father,"  cried  the  wondering 
Elizabeth,  "  was  there  actual  suffering  ?  where 
were  the  beautiful  and  fertile  vales  of  the  Mo 
hawk  ?  could  they  not  furnish  food  for  your 
wants  ?" 

"  It  was  a  season  of  scarcity ;  the  necessities  of 
life  commanded  a  high  price  in  Europe,  and  were 
greedily  sought  after  by  the  speculators.  The 
emigrants,  from  the  east  to  the  west,  invariably 
passed  along  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  swept 
away  the  means  of  subsistence,  like  a  swarm  of 
locusts.  Nor  were  the  people  on  the  Flats  in  a 


THE   PIONEERS.  30? 

much  better  condition.  They  were  in  want  them 
selves,  but  they  spared  the  little  excess  of  provi 
sions,  that  nature  did  not  absolutely  require,  with 
the  justice  of  the  German  character.  There  was 
no  grinding  of  the  poor.  The  word  speculator  was 
then  unknown  to  them.  I  have  seen  many  a  stout 
man,  bending  under  the  load  of  the  bag  of  meal, 
which  he  was  carrying  from  the  mills  of  the  Mo 
hawk,  through  the  rugged  passes  of  these  moun 
tains,  to  feed  his  half-famished  children,  with  a 
heart  so  light,  as  he  approached  his  hut,  that  the 
thirty  miles  he  had  passed  seemed  nothing.  Re 
member,  my  child,  it  was  in  our  very  infancy ;  we 
had  neither  mills,  nor  grain,  nor  roads,  nor  often 
clearings ; — we  had  nothing  of  increase,  but  the 
mouths  that  were  to  be  fed ;  for,  even  at  that  in 
auspicious  moment,  the  restless  spirit  of  emigra 
tion  was  not  I  lie  ;  nay,  the  general  scarcity,  which 
extended  to  the  east,  tended  to  increase  the  num 
ber  of  adventurers." 

"  And  how,  dearest  father,  didst  thou  encounter 
this  dreadful  evil  ?"  said  Elizabeth,  unconsciously 
adopting  the  dialect  of  her  parent  in  the  warmth 
of  her  sympathy.  "  Upon  thee  must  have  fallen 
all  the  responsibility,  if  not  the  suffering." 

"  It  did,  Elizabeth,"  returned  the  Judge,  pausing 
for  a  single  moment,  as  if  musing  on  his  former 
feelings.  "  I  had  hundreds,  at  that  dreadful  time, 
daily  looking  up  to  me  for  bread.  The  sufferings 
of  their  families,  and  the  gloomy  prospect  before 
them,  had  paralysed  the  enterprise  and  efforts  of 
my  settlers  ;  hunger  drove  them  to  the  woods  for 
food,  but  despair  sent  them,  at  night,  enfeebled  and 
wan,  to  a  sleepless  pillow.  It  was  not  a  moment 
for  inaction.  I  purchased  cargoes  of  wheat  from 
the  granaries  of  Pennsylvania ;  they  were  landed 
at  Albany,  and  brought  up  the  Mohawk  in  boats ; 


308  THE    PIONEERS. 

from  thence  it  was  transported  on  pack-horses  into 
the  wilderness,  and  distributed  among  my  people. 
Seines  were  made,  and  the  lakes  and  rivers  were 
dragged  foi  fish.  Something  like  a  miracle  was 
wrought  in  our  favour,  for  enormous  shoals  of  her 
ring  were  discovered  to  have  wandered  five  hun 
dred  miles,  through  the  windings  of  the  impetuous 
Susquehanna,  and  the  lake  was  alive  with  their 
lumbers.  These  were  at  length  caught,  and  dealt 
out  to  the  people,  with  proper  portions  of  salt : 
and  from  that  moment  we  again  began  to  pros 
per." 

"  Yes,"  cried  Richard,  "  and  I  was  the  man  who 
served  out  both  the  fish  and  the  salt.  When  the 
poor  devils  came  to  receive  their  rations,  Benja 
min,  who  was  my  deputy,  was  obliged  to  keep 
them  off  by  stretching  ropes  around  me,  for  they 
smelt  so  of  garlic,  from  eating  nothing  but  the  wild 
onion,  that  the  fumes  put  me  out,  often,  in  my 
measurement.  You  were  a  child  then,  Bess,  and 
knew  nothing  of  the  matter,  for  great  care  was  ob 
served  to  keep  both  you  and  your  mother  from 
suffering.  That  year  put  me  back,  dreadfully,  both 
in  the  breed  of  my  hogs,  and  of  my  turkeys." 

"  No,  Bess,"  cried  the  Judge,  in  a  more  cheer 
ful  tone,  utterly  disregarding  the  interruption  of  his 
cousin,  "  he  who  hears  of  the  settlement  of  a  coun 
try  knows  but  little  of  the  actual  toil  and  suffer 
ing  by  which  it  is  accomplished.  Unimproved 
and  wild  as  this  district  now  seems  to  your  eyes, 
what  was  it  when  I  first  entered  the  hills  !  I  left 
my  party,  the  morning  of  my  arrival,  back  near 
the  farms  of  the  Cherry  Valley,  and,  following  a 
deer-path,  rode  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  that 
I  have  since  called  Mount  Vision ;  for  the  sight 
that  there  met  my  eyes  seemed  to  me  as  the  de 
ceptions  of  a  dream.  The  fire  had  run  over  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  309 

pinnacle,  and,  in  a  great  measure,  laid  open  the 
view.  The  leaves  were  fallen,  and  I  mounted  a 
tree,  and  sat  for  an  hour  looking  on  the  silent  wil 
derness.  Not  an  opening  was  to  be  seen  in  the 
boundless  forest,  except  where  the  lake  lay,  like  a 
mirror  of  glass.  The  water  was  covered  by  myri 
ads  of  the  wild-fowl  that  migrate  with  the  changes 
in  the  season ;  and,  while  in  my  situation  on  the 
branch  of  the  beech,  I  saw  a  bear,  with  her  cubs, 
descend  to  the  shore  to  drink.  I  had  met  many 
deer,  gliding  through  the  woods,  in  my  journey  ; 
but  not  the  vestige  of  a  man  could  I  trace,  during 
my  progress,  nor  from  my  elevated  observatory. 
No  clearing,  no  hut,  none  of  the  winding  roads  that 
are  now  to  be  seen,  were  there,  nothing  but  moun 
tains  rising  behind  mountains,  and  the  valley,  with 
its  surface  of  branches,  enlivened  here  and  there 
with  the  faded  foliage  of  some  tree,  that  parted 
from  its  leaves  with  more  than  ordinary  reluctance. 
Even  the  little  Susquehanna  was  then  hid,  by  the 
height  and  density  of  the  forest." 

"  And  were  you  there  alone  ?"  asked  Eliza 
beth  ;  "  passed  you  the  night  in  that  solitary  state  ?" 

"  Not  so,  my  child,"  returned  her  father.  "  Af 
ter  musing  on  the  scene  for  an  hour,  with  a  min 
gled  feeling  of  pleasure  and  desolation,  I  left  my 
perch  and  descended  the  mountain.  My  horse 
was  left  to  browse  on  the  twigs  that  grew  within 
his  reach,  while  I  explored  the  shores  of  the  lake, 
and  the  spot  where  Templeton  stands.  A  pine  of 
more  than  ordinary  growth  stood  where  my  dwell 
ing  is  now  placed  !  a  wind-row  had  been  opened 
through  the  trees  from  thence  to  the  lake,  and  my 
view  was  but  little  impeded.  Under  the  branches 
of  that  tree  I  made  my  solitary  dinner ;  I  had  just 
finished  my  repast  as  I  saw  a  smoke  curling  froir 


310  THE   PIONEERS. 

under  the  mountain,  near  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
lake.  It  was  the  only  indication  of  the  vicinity  of 
man  that  I  had  then  seen.  After  much  toil  I  made 
my  way  to  the  spot,  and  found  a  rough  cabin  of 
logs,  built  against  the  foot  of  a  rock,  and  bearing 
the  marks  of  a  tenant,  though  I  found  no  one  with 
in  it—" 

"  It  was  the  hut  of  Leather-stocking,"  said  Ed 
wards,  quickly. 

"  It  was  ;  though  I,  at  first,  supposed  it  to  be  a 
habitation  of  the  Indians.  But  while  I  was  linger 
ing  around  the  spot,  Natty  made  his  appearance, 
staggering  under  the  load  of  the  carcass  of  a  buck 
that  he  had  slain.  Our  acquaintance  commenced 
at  that  time ;  before,  I  had  never  heard  that  such 
a  being  tenanted  the  woods.  He  launched  his 
bark  canoe,  and  set  me  across  the  foot  of  the  lake, 
to  the  place  where  I  had  fastened  my  horse,  and 
pointed  out  a  spot  where  he  might  get  a  scanty 
browsing  until  the  morning ;  when  I  returned  and 
passed  the  night  in  the  cabin  of  the  hunter." 

Miss  Temple  was  so  much  struck  by  the  deep 
attention  of  young  Edwards,  during  this  speech, 
that  she  forgot  to  resume  her  interrogatories  ;  but 
the  youth  himself  continued  the  discourse,  by  ask 
ing,  with  a  smile  lurking  around  his  features — 

"  And  how  did  the  Leather-stocking  discharge 
the  duties  of  a  host,  sir  ?" 

"  Why,  simply  but  kindly,  until  late  in  the  even 
ing,  when  he  discovered  my  name  and  object,  and 
the  cordiality  of  his  manner  very  sensibly  dimi 
nished,  or,  I  might  better  say,  disappeared.  He 
considered  the  introduction  of  the  settlers  as  an 
innovation  on  his  rights,  I  believe  ;  for  he  express 
ed  much  dissatisfaction  at  the  measure,  though  it 
was  in  his  confused  and  ambiguous  manner.  I 


THE   PIONEERS.  311 

hardly  understood  his  objections  myself,  but  sup 
pose  they  referred  chiefly  to  an  interruption  of  the 
hunting." 

"  Had  you  then  purchased  the  estate,  or  were 
you  examining  it  with  an  intent  to  buy  ?"  asked 
Edwards,  a  little  abruptly. 

"  It  had  been  mine  for  several  years.  It  was 
with  a  view  to  people  the  land  that  I  visited  the 
lake.  Natty  treated  me  hospitably,  but  coldly,  I 
thought,  after  he  learnt  the  nature  of  my  journey. 
I  slept  on  his  own  bear-skin,  however,  and  in  the 
morning  joined  my  surveyors  again." 

"  Said  he  nothing  of  the  Indian  rights,  sir  ?" 
continued  Edwards.  "  The  Leather-stocking  is 
much  given  to  impeach  the  justice  of  the  tenure  by 
which  the  whites  hold  the  country." 

"  I  remember  that  he  spoke  of  them,  but  I  did 
not  clearly  comprehend  him,  and  may  have  for 
gotten  what  he  then  said ;  for  the  Indian  title  was 
extinguished  so  far  back  as  the  close  of  the  old 
war  ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  at  all,  I  hold  under  the 
patents  of  the  Royal  Governors,  confirmed  by  an 
act  of  our  own  State  Legislature,  and  no  court  in 
our  country  can  affect  my  title." 

"  Doubtless,  sir,  your  title  is  both  legal  and 
equitable,"  returned  the  youth,  coldly,  reigning  his 
horse  back,  and  remaining  silent  till  the  subject 
was  changed. 

It  was  seldom  that  Mr.  Jones  suffered  any  con 
versation  to  continue,  for  a  great  length  of  time, 
without  his  participation.  It  seems  that  he  was  of 
the  party  that  Judge  Temple  had  designated  as  his 
surveyors ;  and  he  embraced  the  opportunity  of 
the  pause  that  succeeded  the  retreat  of  young  Ed 
wards,  to  take  up  the  discourse,  and  with  it  a  nar 
ration  of  their  further  proceedings,  after  his  owe 
manner.  As  it  wanted,  however,  the  interest  that 


312  THE    PIONEERS. 

had  accompanied  the  description  of  the  Judge,  we 
must  decline  the  task  of  committing  his  sentences 
to  paper. 

They  soon  reached  the  point  where  the  pro 
mised  view  was  to  be  seen.  It  was  one  of  those 
picturesque  and  peculiar  scenes  that  belong  to  the 
Otsego,  but  which  required  the  absence  of  the  ice, 
and  the  softness  of  a  summer's  landscape,  to  be  en 
joyed  in  all  its  beauty.  Marmaduke  had  early  fore 
warned  his  daughter  of  the  season  and  of  its  effect 
on  the  prospect,  and  after  casting  a  cursory  glance 
at  its  capabilities,  the  party  returned  homeward, 
perfectly  satisfied  that  its  beauties  would  repay 
them  for  the  toil  of  a  second  ride,  at  a  more  propi 
tious  season. 

"  The  spring  is  the  gloomy  time  of  the  Ameri 
can  year,"  said  the  Judge  ;  "  and  it  is  more  pecu 
liarly  the  case  in  these  mountains.  The  winter 
seems  to  retreat  to  the  fastnesses  of  the  hills,  as 
to  the  citadel  of  its  dominion,  and  is  only  expel 
led,  after  a  tedious  siege,  in  which  either  party, 
at  times,  would  seem  to  be  gaining  the  victory." 

"  A  very  just  and  apposite  figure,  Judge  Tem 
ple,"  observed  the  Sheriff;  "  and  the  garrison  un 
der  the  command  of  Jack  Frost  made  formidable 
sorties — you  understand  what  I  mean  by  sorties, 
Monsieur;  sallies,  in  English — and  sometimes 
drive  General  Spring  and  his  troops  back  again 
into  the  low  countries." 

"  Yes,  sair,"  returned  the  Frenchman,  whose  pro 
minent  eyes  were  watching  the  precarious  foot 
steps  of  the  beast  he  rode,  as  it  picked  its  dan 
gerous  way  among  the  roots  of  trees,,  holes,  log- 
bridges,  and  sloughs  that  formed  the  aggregate  of 
the  highway.  "  Je  vous  entend ;  de  low  countrie, 
it  ees  freeze  up  for  half  de  year." 

The  error  of  Mr.  Le  Quoi  was  not  noticed  by  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  313 

Sheriff;  and  the  rest  of  the  party  were  yielding  to 
the  influence  of  the  changeful  season,  that  was  al 
ready  teaching  the  equestrians  that  a  continuance 
of  its  mildness  was  not  to  be  expected  for  any 
length  of  time.  Silence  and  thoughtfulness  suc 
ceeded  the  gayety  and  conversation  that  had  pre 
vailed  during  the  commencement  of  their  ride,  as 
clouds  began  to  gather  about  the  heavens,  appa 
rently  collecting  from  every  quarter,  in  quick  mo 
tion,  without  the  agency  of  a  breath  of  air. 

While  riding  over  one  of  the  cleared  eminences 
that  occurred  in  their  route,  the  watchful  eye  of 
Judge  Temple  pointed  out  to  his  daughter  the  ap 
proach  of  a  tempest.  Flurries  of  snow  already  ob 
scured  the  mountain  that  formed  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  lake,  and  the  genial  sensation 
which  had  quickened  the  blood  through  their  veins 
was  already  succeeded  by  the  deadening  influence 
of  an  approaching  north-wester. 

All  of  the  party  were  now  busily  engaged  in 
making  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  village,  though 
the  badness  of  the  roads  frequently  compelled  them 
to  check  the  impatience  of  their  animals,  which  of 
ten  carried  them  over  places  that  would  not  admit 
of  any  gait  faster  than  a  walk. 

Richard  continued  in  advance,  and  was  followed 
by  Mr.  Le  Quoi ;  next  to  whom  rode  Elizabeth, 
who  seemed  to  have  imbibed  the  distance  which 
pervaded  the  manner  of  young  Edwards,  since  the 
termination  of  the  discourse  between  the  latter  and 
her  father.  Marmaduke  followed  his  daughter, 
giving  her  frequent  and  tender  warnings  as  to  her 
safety  and  the  management  of  her  horse.  It  was, 
possibly,  the  evident  dependence  that  Louisa  Grant 
placed  on  his  assistance,  which  induced  the  youth 
to  continue  by  her  side,  as  they  pursued  their  way 
through  a  dreary  and  dark  wood,  where  the  rays 
27 


314  THE    PIONEERS. 

of  the  sun  could  but  rarely  penetrate,  and  where 
even  the  daylight  was  obscured  and  rendered 
gloomy  by  the  deep  forests  that  surrounded  them. 
No  wind  had  yet  reached  the  spot  where  the 
equestrians  were  in  motion,  but  that  dead  stillness 
that  often  precedes  a  storm,  contributed  to  render 
their  situation  more  irksome  than  if  they  were  al 
ready  subjected  to  the  fury  of  the  tempest.  Sud 
denly  the  voice  of  young  Edwards  was  heard 
shouting,  in  those  appalling  tones  that  carry  alarm 
to  the  very  soul,  and  which  curdle  the  blood  of 
those  that  hear  them — 

"  A  tree  !  a  tree  !  whip — spur  for  your  lives !  a 
tree  !  a  tree  !" 

"  A  tree  !  a  tree  !"  echoed  Richard,  giving  his 
horse  a  blow  that  caused  the  alarmed  beast  to  jump 
nearly  a  rod,  throwing  the  mud  and  water  into  the 
air,  like  a  hurricane. 

"  Von  tree !  von  tree  !"  shouted  the  French 
man,  bending  his  body  on  the  neck  of  his  charger, 
shutting  his  eyes,  and  playing  on  the  ribs  of  his 
beast  with  his  heels,  at  a  rate  that  caused  him  to  be 
conveyed  on  the  crupper  of  the  Sheriff,  with  a 
marvellous  speed. 

Elizabeth  checked  her  filly,  and  looked  up,  with 
an  unconscious  but  alarmed  air,  at  the  very  cause 
of  their  danger,  while  she  listened  to  the  crackling 
sounds  that  awoke  the  stillness  of  the  forest ;  but 
the  next  instant,  her  bridle  was  seized  by  her  fa 
ther,  who  cried — 

"  God  protect  my  child  !"  and  she  felt  herself 
hurried  onward,  impelled  by  the  vigour  of  his 
nervous  arm. 

Each  one  of  the  party  bowed  to  their  saddle 
bows,  as  the  tearing  of  branches  was  succeeded  by 
a  sound  like  the  rushing  of  the  winds,  which  was 
followed  by  a  thundering  report,  and  a  shock  that 


THE   PIONEERS.  315 

caused  the  very  earth  to  tremble,  as  one  of  the  no 
blest  ruins  in  the  forest  fell  directly  across  their 
path. 

One  glance  was  enough  to  assure  Judge  Tem 
ple  that  his  daughter  and  those  in  front  of  him, 
were  safe,  and  he  turned  his  eyes,  in  dreadful  anx 
iety,  to  learn  the  fate  of  the  others.  Young  Ed 
wards  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  tree,  with 
his  form  thrown  back  in  his  saddle  to  its  utmost 
distance,  his  left  hand  drawing  up  his  bridle  with 
its  greatest  force,  while  the  right  grasped  that  of 
Miss  Grant,  so  as  to  draw  the  head  of  her  horse 
under  its  body.  Both  the  animals  stood  shaking 
in  every  joint  with  terror,  and  snorting  fearfully. 
The  maiden  herself  had  relinquished  her  reins,  and 
with  her  hands  pressed  on  her  face  sat  bending 
forward  in  her  saddle,  in  an  attitude  of  despair 
mingled  strangely  with  resignation. 

"  Are  you  safe  ?"  cried  the  Judge,  first  breaking 
the  awful  silence  of  the  moment. 

"  By  God's  blessing,"  returned  the  youth ;  "  but 
if  there  had  been  branches  to  the  tree  we  must 
have  been  lost — " 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  figure  of  Louisa, 
slowly  yielding  in  her  saddle  ;  and  but  for  his  arm, 
she  would  have  sunken  to  the  earth.  Terror, 
however,  was  the  only  injury  that  the  clergyman's 
daughter  had  sustained,  and  with  the  aid  of  Eliza 
beth,  she  was  soon  restored  to  her  senses.  After 
some  little  time  was  lost  in  recovering  her  strength, 
the  young  lady  was  replaced  in  her  saddle,  and, 
supported  on  either  side  by  Judge  Temple  and  Mr, 
Edwards,  she  was  enabled  to  follow  the  party  in 
their  slow  progress. 

"  The  sudden  falling  of  the  trees,"  said  Marma- 
duke,  "  are  the  most  dangerous  of  our  accidents  in 
the  forest,  for  they  are  not  to  be  foreseen,  being 


316  THE    PIONEERS. 

impelled  by  no  winds,  nor  any  extraneous  or  visi 
ble  cause,  against  which  we  can  guard." 

"  The  reason  of  their  falling,  Judge  Temple,  is 
very  obvious,"  said  the  Sheriff.  "  The  tree  is  ild 
and  decayed,  and  it  is  gradually  weakened  by  the 
frosts,  until  a  line  drawn  from  the  centre  of  gravity 
falls  without  its  base,  and  then  the  tree  comes  of 
a  certainty;  and  I  should  like  to  know,  what 
greater  compulsion  there  can  be  for  any  thing,  than 
a  mathematical  certainty.  I  studied  mathe " 

"  Very  true,  Richard,"  interrupted  Marmaduke  ; 
"  thy  reasoning  is  true,  and  if  my  memory  be  not 
over  treacherous,  was  furnished  by  myself  on  a 
former  occasion.  But  how  is  one  to  guard  against 
the  danger  ?  canst  thou  go  through  the  forests, 
measuring  the  bases,  and  calculating  the  centres 
of  the  oaks  ?  answer  me  that,  friend  Jones,  and  I 
will  say  thou  wilt  do  the  country  a  service." 

(C  Answer  thee  that,  friend  Temple  !"  returned 
Richard ;  "  a  well-educated  man  can  answer  thee 
any  thing,  sir.  Do  any  trees  fall  in  this  manner, 
but  such  as  are  decayed  ?  Take  care  not  to  ap 
proach  the  roots  of  any  rotten  trees,  and  you  will 
be  safe  enough." 

"  That  would  be  excluding  us  entirely  from  the 
forests,"  said  Marmaduke.  "  But,  happily,  the 
winds  usually  force  down  most  of  these  dangerous 
ruins,  as  their  currents  are  admitted  into  the  woods 
by  the  surrounding  clearings,  and  such  a  fall  as  this 
has  been  is  very  rare." 

Louisa,  by  this  time,  had  recovered  so  much  of 
her  strength,  as  to  allow  the  party  to  proceed  at  a 
quicker  pace  ;  but  long  before  they  were  safely 
housed,  they  were  overtaken  by  the  storm ;  and 
when  they  dismounted  at  the  door  of  the  Mansion- 
house,  the  black  plumes  of  Miss  Temple's  hat 
were  drooping  with  the  weight  of  a  load  of  damp 


THE    PIONEERS.  317 

snow,  and  the  coats  of  the  gentlemen  were  pow 
dered  with  the  same  material. 

While  Edwards  was  assisting  Louisa  from  her 
horse,  the  warm-hearted  girl  caught  his  hand  with 
fervour,  and  whispered — 

"  Now,  Mr.  Edwards,  both  father  and  daughter 
owe  their  lives  to  you." 

A  driving,  northwesterly  storm  succeeded  ;  and 
before  the  sun  was  set,  every  vestige  of  spring  had 
vanished ;  the  lake,  the  mountains,  the  village,  and 
the  fields,  being  again  hid  under  one  dazzling  coat 
of  snow. 

27* 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


"  Men,  boyi,  and  girls, 

Desert  th'  unpeopled  village  ;  and  wild  crowds 
Spread  o'er  the  plain,  by  the  sweet  frenzy  driven.1" 

Somerville 


FROM  this  time  to  the  close  of  April,  the  wea 
ther  continued  to  be  a  succession  of  great  and  ra 
pid  changes.  One  day,  the  soft  airs  of  spring 
would  seem  to  be  stealing  along  the  valley,  and, 
in  unison  with  an  invigorating  sun,  attempting,  co 
vertly,  to  rouse  the  dormant  powers  of  the  vegeta 
ble  world  ;  while  on  the  next,  the  surly  blasts  from 
the  north  would  sweep  across  the  lake,  and  erase 
every  impression  left  by  their  gentte  adversaries. 
The  snow,  however,  finally  disappeared,  and  the 
green  wheat  fields  were  seen  in  every  direction, 
spotted  with  the  dark  and  charred  stumps  that  had, 
the  preceding  season,  supported  some  of  the  proud 
est  trees  of  the  forest.  Ploughs  were  in  motion, 
wherever  those  useful  implements  could  be  used, 
and  the  smokes  of  the  sugar-camps  were  no  longer 
seen  issuing  from  the  summits  of  the  woods  of  ma 
ple.  The  lake  had  lost  all  the  characteristic  beau 
ty  of  &  field  of  ice,  but  still  a  dark  and  gloomy  co 
vering  concealed  its  waters,  for  the  absence  of  cur 
rents  left  them  yet  hid  under  a  porous  crust,  which, 
saturated  with  the  fluid,  barely  retained  enough  of 
its  strength  to  preserve  the  contiguity  of  its  parts 


THE    PIONEERS.  319 

Large  flocks  of  wild  geese  were  seen  passing  over 
the  country,  which  hovered,  for  a  time,  around  the 
hidden  sheet  of  water,  apparently  searching  for  an 
opening,  where  they  might  find  a  resting-place ; 
and  then,  on  finding  themselves  excluded  by  the 
chill  covering,  would  soar  away  to  the  north,  filling 
the  air  with  their  discordant  screams,  as  if  venting 
their  complaints  at  the  tardy  operations  of  nature. 
For  a  week,  the  dark  covering  of  the  Otsego  was 
»eft  to  the  undisturbed  possession  of  two  eagles, 
who  alighted  on  the  centre  of  its  field,  and  sat 
proudly  eyeing  the  extent  of  their  undisputed  ter 
ritory.  During  the  presence  of  these  monarchs  of 
the  air,  the  flocks  of  migrating  birds  avoided  cross 
ing  the  plain  of  ice,  by  turning  into  the  hills,  appa 
rently  seeking  the  protection  of  the  forests,  while 
the  white  and  bald  heads  of  the  tenants  of  the  lake 
were  turned  upward,  with  a  look  of  majestic  con 
tempt,  as  if  penetrating  to  the  very  heavens  with 
the  acuteness  of  their  vision.  But  the  time  had 
come,  when  even  these  kings  of  birds  were  to  be 
dispossessed.  An  opening  had  been  gradually  in 
creasing,  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  lake,  and 
around  the  dark  spot  where  the  current  of  the  river 
had  prevented  the  formation  of  ice,  during  even 
the  coldest  weather  ;  and  the  fresh  southerly 
winds,  that  now  breathed  freely  up  the  valley,  ob 
tained  an  impression  on  the  waters.  Mimic  waves 
began  to  curl  over  the  margin  of  the  frozen  field, 
which  exhibited  an  outline  of  crystallizations,  that 
slowly  receded  towards  the  north.  At  each  step 
the  power  of  the  winds  and  the  waves  increased, 
until,  after  a  struggle  of  a  few  hours,  the  turbulent 
little  billows  succeeded  in  setting  the  whole  field 
in  an  undulating  motion,  when  it  was  driven  be 
yond  the  reach  of  the  eye,  with  a  rapidity  that  was 
as  magical  as  the  change  produced  in  the  scene  by 


320  THE    PIONEERS. 

this  expulsion  of  the  lingering  remnant  of  winter* 
Just  as  the  last  sheet  of  agitated  ice  was  disappear 
ing  in  the  distance,  the  eagles  rose  over  the  border 
of  crystals,  and  soared  with  a  wide  sweep  far  above 
the  clouds,  while  the  waves  tossed  their  little  caps 
of  snow  into  the  air,  as  if  rioting  in  their  release 
from  a  thraldom  of  five  months'  duration. 

The  following  morning  Elizabeth  was  awakened 
by  the  exhilarating  sounds  of  the  martins,  who 
v/ere  quarrelling  and  chattering  around  the  little 
boxes  that  were  suspended  above  her  windows, 
and  the  cries  of  Richard,  who  was  calling,  in  tones 
as  animating  as  the  signs  of  the  season  itself — 

"  Awake  !  awake  !  my  lady  fair !  the  gulls  are 
hovering  over  the  lake  already,  and  the  heavens 
are  alive  with  the  pigeons.  You  may  look  an  hour 
before  you  can  find  a  hole,  through  which  to  get  a 
peep  at  the  sun.  Awake  !  awake  !  lazy  ones  1 
Benjamin  is  overhauling  the  ammunition,  and  we 
only  wait  for  our  breakfasts,  and  away  for  the 
mountains  and  pigeon  shooting." 

There  was  no  resisting  this  animated  appeal,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  Miss  Temple  and  her  friend  de 
scended  to  the  parlour.     The  doors  of  the  hall  were 
thrown  open,  and  the  mild,  balmy  air  of  a  clear 
spring   morning  was    ventilating   the   apartment, 
where  the  vigilance  of  the  ex-steward  had  been 
so  long  maintaining  an  artificial  heat  with*  such  un 
remitted  diligence.     The  gentlemen  were  impa 
tiently  waiting  for  their  morning's  repast,  each  be 
mg  equipt  in  the  garb  of  a  sportsman.     Mr.  Jones 
made  many  visits  to  the  southern  door,  and  would 
cry — 

"  See,  cousin  Bess  !  see,  'duke,  the  pigeon- 
roosts  of  the  south  have  broken  up !  They  are 
growing  more  thick  every  instant.  Here  is  a  flock 
that  the  eye  cannot  see  the  end  of.  There  is  food 


THE   PIONEERS.  321 

enough  in  it  to  keep  the  army  of  Xerxes  for  a 
month,  and  feathers  enough  to  make  beds  for  the 
whole  county.  Xerxes,  Mr.  Edwards,  was  a  Gre 
cian  king,  who — no,  he  was  a  Turk,  or  a  Persian, 
who  wanted  to  conquer  Greece,  just  the  same  as 
these  rascals  will  overrun  our  wheat-fields,  when 
they  come  back  in  the  fall.  Away  !  away  !  Bess  ; 
I  long  to  pepper  them  from  the  mountain." 

In  this  wish  both  Marmaduke  and  young  Ed 
wards  seemed  equally  to  participate,  for  the  sight 
was  most  exhilarating  to  a  sportsman  ;  and  the  la 
dies  soon  dismissed  the  party,  after  a  hasty  break 
fast. 

If  the  heavens  were  alive  with  pigeons,  the 
whole  village  seemed  equally  in  motion,  with  men, 
women,  and  children.  Every  species  of  fire-arms, 
from  the  French  ducking-gun,  with  its  barrel  of 
near  six  feet  in  length,  to  the  common  horseman's 
pistol,  was  to  be  seen  in  the  hands  of  the  men  and 
boys ;  while  bows  and  arrows,  some  made  of  the 
simple  stick  of  a  walnut  sapling,  and  others  in  a 
rude  imitation  of  the  ancient  cross-bows,  were  car 
ried  by  many  of  the  latter. 

The  houses  and  the  signs  of  life  apparent  in  the 
village,  drove  the  alarmed  birds  from  the  direct 
line  of  their  flight,  towards  the  mountains,  along 
the  sides  and  near  the  bases  of  which  they  were 
glancing  in  dense  masses,  that  were  equally  won 
derful  by  the  rapidity  of  their  motion,  as  by  their 
incredible  numbers. 

We  have  already  said,  that  across  the  inclined 
plane  which  fell  from  the  steep  ascent  of  the  moun 
tain  to  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna,  ran  the  high 
way,  on  either  side  of  which  a  clearing  of  many 
acres  had  been  made  at  a  very  early  day.  Over 
those  clearings,  and  up  the  eastern  mountain,  and 
along  the  dangerous  path  tha ;  was  cut  into  its  side. 


322  THE   PIONEERS. 

the  different  individuals  posted  themselves,  as 
suited  their  inclinations  ;  and  in  a  few  moments 
the  attack  commenced. 

Among  the  sportsmen  was  to  be  seen  the  tall,, 
gaunt  form  of  Leather-stocking,  who  was  walking 
over  the  field,  with  his  rifle  hanging  on  his  arm, 
his  dogs  following  close  at  his  heels,  now  scenting 
the  dead  or  wounded  birds,  that  were  beginning 
to  tumble  from  the  flocks,  and  then  crouching  un 
der  the  legs  of  their  master,  as  if  they  participated 
in  his  feelings  at  this  wasteful  and  unsportsmanlike 
execution. 

The  reports  of  the  fire-arms  became  rapid,  whole 
volleys  rising  from  the  plain,  as  flocks  of  more  than 
ordinary  numbers  darted  over  the  opening,  cover 
ing  the  field  with  darkness,  like  an  interposing 
cloud  ;  and  then  the  light  smoke  of  a  single  piece 
would  issue  from  among  the  leafless  bushes  on  the 
mountain,  as  death  was  hurled  on  the  retreat  of  the 
affrighted  birds,  who  were  rising  from  a  volley,  for 
many  feet  into  the  air,  in  a  vain  effort  to  escape 
the  attacks  of  man.  Arrows,  and  missiles  of  every 
kind,  were  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  flocks  ;  and  so 
numerous  were  the  birds,  and  so  low  did  they  take 
their  flight,  that  even  long  poles,  in  the  hands  of 
those  on  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  were  used  to 
strike  them  to  the  earth. 

During  all  this  time,  Mr.  Jones,  who  disdained 
the  humble  and  ordinary  means  of  destruction  used 
by  his  companions,  was  busily  occupied,  aided  by 
Benjamin,  in  making  arrangements  for  an  assault 
of  a  more  than  ordinarily  fatal  character.  Among 
the  relics  of  the  old  military  excursions,  that  occa 
sionally  are  discovered  throughout  the  different 
districts  of  the  western  part  of  New- York,  there 
had  been  found  in  Templeton,  at  its  settlement,  a 
swivel,  which  would  carry  a  ball  of  a  pound 


THE    PIONEERS.  323 

weight.  It  was  thought  to  have  been  deserted  by 
a  war-party  of  the  whites,  in  one  of  their  inroads 
into  the  Indian  settlements,  when,  perhaps  their 
convenience  or  their  necessities  induced  them  to 
leave  such  an  incumbrance  behind  them  in  the 
woods.  This  miniature  cannon  had  been  released 
from  the  rust,  and  being  mounted  on  little  wheels, 
was  now  in  a  state  for  actual  service.  For  several 
years,  it  was  the  sole  organ  for  extraordinary  re 
joicings  that  was  used  in  those  mountains.  On  the 
mornings  of  the  Fourths  of  July,  it  would  be  heard, 
with  its  echoes  ringing  among  the  hills,  and  telling 
forth  its  sounds,  for  thirteen  times,  with  all  the 
dignity  of  a  two-and-thirty  pounder ;  and  even 
Captain  Hollister,  who  was  the  highest  authority 
in  that  part  of  the  country  on  all  such  occasions, 
affirmed  that,  considering  its  dimensions,  it  was  no 
despicable  gun  for  a  salute.  It  was  somewhat  the 
worse  for  the  service  it  had  performed,  it  is  true, 
there  being  but  a  trifling  difference  in  size  between 
the  touch-hole  and  the  muzzle.  Still,  the  grand 
conceptions  of  Richard  had  suggested  the  impor 
tance  of  such  an  instrument,  in  hurling  death  at 
his  nimble  enemies.  The  swivel  was  dragged  by 
a  horse  into  a  part  of  the  open  space,  that  the  She 
riff  thought  most  eligible  for  planting  a  battery  of 
the  kind,  and  Mr.  Pump  proceeded  to  load  it. 
Several  handfuls  of  duck-shot  were  placed  on  top 
of  the  powder,  and  the  Major-domo  soon  announced 
that  his  piece  was  ready  for  service. 

The  sight  of  such  an  implement  collected  all  the 
idle  spectators  to  the  spot,  who,  being  mostly  boys, 
filled  the  air  with  their  cries  of  exultation  and  de 
light.  The  gun  was  pointed  on  high,  and  Richard, 
holding  a  coal  of  fire  in  a  pair  of  tongs,  patiently 
took  his  seat  on  a  stump,  awaiting  the  appearance 
of  a  flock  that  was  worthy  of  his  notice. 


324  THE    PIONEERS. 

So  prodigious  was  the  number  of  the  birds,  that 
the  scattering  fire  of  the  guns,  with  the  hurling  of 
missiles,  and  the  cries  of  the  boys,  had  no  other 
effect  than  to  break  off  small  flocks  from  the  im 
mense  masses  that  continued  to  dart  along  the  val 
ley,  as  if  the  whole  creation  of  the  feathered  tribe 
were  pouring  through  that  one  pass.  None  pre 
tended  to  collect  the  game,  which  lay  .scattered 
over  the  fields  in  such  profusion  as  to  cover  the 
very  ground  with  the  fluttering  victims. 

Leather-stocking  was  a  silent,  but  uneasy  spec 
tator  of  all  these  proceedings,  but  was  able  to  keep 
his  sentiments  to  himself  until  he  saw  the  intro 
duction  of  the  swivel  into  the  sports. 

"  This  comes  of  settling  a  country  !"  he  said — 
"  here  have  I  known  the  pigeons  to  fly  for  forty 
long  years,  and,  till  you  made  your  clearings,  there 
was  nobody  to  skear  or  to  hurt  them.  I  loved  to 
see  them  come  into  the  woods,  for  they  were  com 
pany  to  a  body ;  hurting  nothing ;  being,  as  it  was, 
as  harmless  as  a  garter-snake.  But  now  it  gives 
me  sore  thoughts  when  I  hear  the  frighty  things 
whizzing  through  the  air,  for  I  know  it's  only  a 
motion  to  bring  out  all  the  brats  in  the  village  at 
them.  Well !  the  Lord  won't  see  the  waste  of  his 
creaters  for  nothing,  and  right  will  be  done  to  the 
pigeons,  as  well  as  others,  by-and-by.  There's 
Mr.  Oliver,  as  bad  as  the  rest  of  them,  firing  into 
the  flocks  as  if  he  was  shooting  down  nothing  but 
the  Mingo  warriors." 

Among  the  sportsmen  was  Billy  Kirby,  who, 
armed  with  an  old  musket,  was  loading,  and  with 
out  even  looking  into  the  air,  was  firing  and  shout 
ing  as  his  victims  fell  even  on  his  own  person.  He 
heard  the  speech  of  Natty,  and  took  upon  himself 
to  reply — 

"  What's  that;  old  Leather-stocking  !"  he  cried. 


THE    PIONEERS.  325 

"  grumbling  at  the  loss  of  a  few  pigeons  !  If  you 
had  to  sow  your  wheat  twice,  and  three  times,  as 
I  have  done,  you  wouldn't  be  so  massy  fully  feel- 
ing'd  to'ards  the  divils. — Hurrah,  boys  !  scatter 
the  feathers.  This  is  better  than  shooting  at  a  tur 
key's  head  and  neck,  old  fellow." 

"  It's  better  for  you,  maybe,  Billy  Kirby,"  re 
plied  the  indignant  old  hunter,  "  and  all  them  as 
don't  know  how  to  put  a  ball  down  a  rifle-barrel, 
or  how  to  bring  it  up  ag'n  with  a  true  aim  ;  but  it's 
wicked  to  be  shooting  into  flocks  in  this  wasty 
manner ;  and  none  do  it,  who  know  how  to  knock 
over  a  single  bird.  If  a  body  has  a  craving  for 
pigeon's  flesh,  why  !  it's  made  the  same  as  all  other 
creator's,  for  man's  eating,  but  not  to  kill  twenty 
and  eat  one.  When  I  want  such  a  thing  I  go  into 
the  woods  till  I  find  one  to  my  liking,  and  then  I 
shoot  him  off  the  branches  without  touching  a  fea 
ther  of  another,  though  there  might  be  a  hundred 
on  the  same  tree.  But  you  couldn't  do  such  a 
thing,  Billy  Kirby — you  couldn't  do  it  if  you  tried." 

"  What's  that  you  say,  you  old,  dried  corn 
stalk!  you  sapless  stub  !"  cried  the  wood-chopper. 
"  You've  grown  mighty  boasting,  sin'  you  killed 
the  turkey ;  but  if  you're  for  a  single  shot,  here 
goes  at  that  bird  which  comes  on  by  himself." 

The  fire  from  the  distant  part  of  the  field  had 
driven  a  single  pigeon  below  the  flock  to  \*hich  it 
had  belonged,  and  frightened  with  the  constant  re 
ports  of  the  muskets,  it  was  approaching  the  spot 
wrhere  the  disputants  stood,  darting  first  from  one 
side,  and  then  to  the  other,  cutting  the  air  «with  the 
swiftness  of  lightning,  and  making  a  noise  with  its 
wings,  not  unlike  the  rushing  of  a  bullet.  Unfor 
tunately  for  the  wood-chopper,  notwithstanding  his 
vaunt,  he  did  not  see  his  bird  until  it  was  too  late 
for  him  to  fire  as  it  approached,  and  he  pulled  his 
28 


326  THE   PIONEERS. 

trigger  at  the  unlucky  moment  when  it  was  dart 
ing  immediately  over  his  head.  The  bird  conti 
nued  its  course  with  incredible  velocity. 

Natty  lowered  the  rifle  from  his  arm,  when  the 
challenge  was  made,  and,  waiting  a  moment,  until 
the  terrified  victim  had  got  in  a  line  with  his  eyes, 
and  had  dropped  near  the  bank  of  the  lake,  he 
raised  it  again  with  uncommon  rapidity,  and  fired. 
It  might  have  been  chance,  or  it  might  have  been 
skill,  that  produced  the  result ;  it  was  probably  a 
union  of  both ;  but  the  pigeon  whirled  over  in  the 
air,  and  fell  into  the  lake,  with  a  broken  wing.  At 
the  sound  of  his  rifle,  both  His  dogs  started  from 
his  feet,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  "  slut"  brought 
out  the  bird,  still  alive. 

The  wonderful  exploit  of  Leather-stocking  was 
noised  through  the  field  with  great  rapidity,  and 
the  sportsmen  gathered  in  to  learn  the  truth  of  the 
report. 

"  What,"  said  young  Edwards,  "  have  you  real 
ly  killed  a  pigeon  on  the  wing,  Natty,  with  a  single 
ball  ?» 

"  Haven't  I  killed  loons  before  now,  lad,  that 
dive  at  the  flash  ?"  returned  the  hunter.  "  It's 
much  better  to  kill  only  such  as  you  want,  with 
out  wasting  y our  powder  and  lead,  than  to  be  firing 
into  God's  creaters  in  such  a  wicked  manner.  But 
I  come«out  for  a  bird,  and  you  know  the  reason 
why  I  like  small  game,  Mr.  Oliver,  and  now  I  have 
got  one  I  will  go  home,  for  I  don't  relish  to  see 
these  wasty  ways  that  you  are  all  practysing,  as  if 
the  leasH;hing  wasn't  made  for  use,  and  not  to  de 
stroy  " 

"  Thou  sayest  well,  Leather-stocking,"  cried 
Marmaduke,  "  and  I  begin  to  think  it  time  to  put 
an  end  to  this  work  of  destruction." 

"  Put  an  ind.  Judge,  to  your  clearings.     An't 


THE    PIONEERS.  327 

the  woods  his  work  as  well  as  the  pigeons  ?  Use, 
but  don't  waste.  Wasn't  the  woods  made  for  the 
beasts  and  birds  to  harbour  in  ?  and  when  man 
wanted  their  flesh,  their  skins,  or  their  feathers, 
there's  the  place  to  seek  them.  But  I'll  go  to  the 
hut  with  my  own  game,  for  I  wouldn't  touch  one 
of  the  harmless  things  that  kiver  the  ground  here, 
looking  up  with  their  eyes  on  me,  as  if  they  only 
wanted  tongues  to  say  their  thoughts." 

With  this  sentiment  in  his  mouth,  Leather-stock 
ing  threw  his  rifle  over  his  arm,  and  followed  by 
his  dogs,  stepping  across  the  clearing  with  great 
caution,  taking  care  Sot  to  tread  on  one  of  the 
wounded  birds  that  lay  in  his  path.  He  soon  en 
tered  the  bushes  on  the  margin  of  the  lake,  and 
was  hid  from  view. 

Whatever  impression  the  morality  of  Natty  made 
on  the  Judge,  it  was  utterly  lost  on  Richard.  He 
availed  himself  of  the  gathering  of  the  sportsmen, 
to  lay  a  plan  for  one  u  fell  swoop"  of  destruction. 
The  musket-men  were  drawn  up  in  battle  array, 
in  a  line  extending  on  each  side  of  his  artillery, 
with  orders  to  await  the  signal  of  firing  from  him 
self. 

"  Stand  by,  my  lads,"  said  Benjamin,  who  acted 
as  an  aid-de-camp  on  this  momentous  occasion, 
"  stand  by,  my  hearties,  and  when  Squire  Dickens 
heaves  out  the  signal  for  to  begin  firing,  d'ye  see, 
you  may  open  upon  them  in  a  broadside.  Take 
care  and  fire  low,  boys,  and  you'll  be  sure  to  hull 
the  flock." 

"  Fire  low  !"  shouted  Kirby — "  hear  the  old 
fool !  If  we  fire  low,  we  may  hit  the  stumps,  but 
not  ruffle  a  pigeon." 

"  How  should  you  know,  you  lubber  ?"  cried 
Benjamin,  with  a  very  unbecoming  heat  for  an  of 
ficer  on  the  eve  of  battle — "  how  should  you  know, 


328  THE   PIONEERS. 

you  grampus  ?  Haven't  I  sailed  abciard  of  the 
Boadishy  for  five  years  ?  and  wasn't  it  a  standing 
order  to  fire  low,  and  to  hull  your  enemy  ?  Keep 
silence  at  your  guns,  boys,  and  mind  the  order  that 
is  passed." 

The  loud  laughs  of  the  musket-men  were  si 
lenced  by  the  authoritative  voice  of  Richard,  who 
called  to  them  for  attention  and  obedience  to  his 
signals. 

Some  millions  of  pigeons  were  supposed  to  have 
already  passed,  that  morning,  over  the  valley  of 
Templeton ;  but  nothing  like  the  flock  that  was 
now  approaching  had  been  seen  before.  It  extend 
ed  from  mountain  to  mountain  in  one  solid  blue 
mass,  and  the  eye  looked  in  vain  over  the  southern 
hills  to  find  its  termination.  The  front  of  this  liv 
ing  column  was  distinctly  marked  by  a  line  but 
very  slightly  indented,  so  regular  and  even  was 
the  flight.  Even  Marmaduke  forgot  the  morality  of 
Leather-stocking  as  it  approached,  and,  in  common 
with  the  rest,  brought  his  musket  to  his  shoulder. 

"  Fire  !"  cried  the  Sheriff,  clapping  his  coal  to 
the  priming  of  the  cannon.  As  half  of  Benjamin's 
charge  escaped  through  the  touch-hole,  the  whole 
volley  of  the  musketry  preceded  the  report  of  the 
swivel.  On  receiving  this  united  discharge  of 
small  arms,  the  front  of  the  flock  darted  upward, 
while,  at  the  same  instant,  myriads  of  those  in  their 
rear  rushed  with  amazing  rapidity  into  their  places, 
so  that  when  the  column  of  white  smoke  gushed 
from  the  mouth  of  the  little  cannon,  an  accumu 
lated  mass  of  objects  was  gliding  over  its  point  of 
direction. — The  roar  of  the  gun  echoed  along  the 
mountains,  and  died  away  to  the  north,  like  distant 
thunder,  while  the  whole  flock  of  alarmed  birds 
seemed,  for  a  moment,  thrown  into  one  disorderly 
and  agitated  mass.  The  air  was  filled  with  their 


THE    PIONEERS.  329 

irregular  flights,  layer  rising  over  layer,  far  above 
the  tops  of  the  highest  pines,  none  daring  to  ad 
vance  beyond  the  dangerous  pass ;  when,  sudden 
ly,  some  of  the  leaders  of  the  feathered  tribe  shot 
across  the  valley,  taking  their  flight  directly  over 
the  village,  and  the  hundreds  of  thousands  in  their 
rear  followed  their  example,  deserting  the  eastern 
side  of  the  plain  to  their  persecutors  and  their 
fallen. 

"  Victory  !"  shouted  Richard,  "  victory  !  we 
have  driven  the  enemy  from  the  field." 

"  Not  so,  Dickon,"  said  Marmaduke ;  "the  field 
is  covered  with  them ;  and,  like  the  Leather- 
stocking,  I  see  nothing  but  eyes,  in  every  direc 
tion,  as  the  innocent  sufferers  turn  their  heads,  in 
terror,  to  examine  my  movements.  Full  one  half 
of  those  that  have  fallen  are  yet  alive  :  and  I  think 
it  is  time  to  end  the  sport ;  if  sport  it  be." 

"Sport!"  cried  the  Sheriff;  "it  is  princely 
sport !  There  are  some  thousands  of  the  blue- 
coated  boys  on  the  ground,  so  that  every  old  wo 
man  in  the  village  may  have  a  pot-pie  for  the  ask 
ing." 

"  Well,  we  have  happily  frightened  the  birds 
from  this  side  the  valley,"  said  Marmaduke,  "  and 
our  carnage  must  of  necessity  end,  for  the  present. 
Boys,  I  will  give  you  sixpence  a  hundred  for  the 
pigeons'  heads  only :  so  go  to  work,  and  bring 
them  into  the  village,  where  I  will  pay  you." 

This  expedient  produced  the  desired  effect,  for 
every  urchin  on  the  ground  went  industriously  to 
work  to  wring  the  necks  of  the  wounded  birds. 
Judge  Temple  retired  towards  his  dwelling  with 
that  kind  of  feeling,  that  many  a  man  has  experi 
enced  before  him,  who  discovers,  after  the  excite 
ment  of  the  moment  has  passed,  that  he  has  pur 
chased  p&n&sure  at  the  price  of  misery  to  others. 
28  * 


330  THE   PIONEERS 

Horses  were  loaded  with  the  dead ;  and,  after  the 
first  burst  of  sporting,  the  shooting  of  pigeons  be 
came  a  business,  for  the  remainder  of  the  season, 
more  in  proportion  to  the  people.  Richard,  how 
ever,  boasted  for  many  a  year,  of  his  shot  with  the 
"  cricket ;"  and  Benjamin  gravely  asserted,  that 
he  thought  they  killed  nearly  as  many  pigeons  on 
that  day,  as  there  were  Frenchmen  destroyed  on 
the  memorable  occasion  of  Rodney's  victory. 


CHAPTER  XXin. 


Kelp,  masters,  help;  here's  a  fUh  hangs  in  tho  net,  like  a  poof 
man's  right  in  the  law." 

Pericles  of  Tyre. 


THE  advance  of  the  season  now  became  as  rapid 
as  its  first  approach  had  been  tedious  and  lingering. 
The  days  were  uniformly  mild,  and  genial  to  vege 
tation,  while  the  nights,  though  cool,  were  no  lon 
ger  chilled  by  frosts.  The  whip-poor-will  was 
heard  whistling  his  melancholy  notes  along  the  mar 
gin  of  the  lake,  and  the  ponds  and  meadows  were 
sending  forth  the  music  of  their  thousand  tenants. 
The  leaf  of  the  native  poplar  was  seen  quivering 
in  the  wroods  ;  the  sides  of  the  mountains  began  to 
lose  their  hue  of  brown,  as  the 'lively  green  of  the 
different  members  of  the  forest  blended  their 
shades  with  the  permanent  colours  of  the  pine  and 
hemlock ;  and  even  the  buds  of  the  tardy  oak  were 
swelling  with  the  promise  of  the  coming  summer. 
The  gay  and  fluttering  blue-bird,  the  social  robin, 
and  the  industrious  little  wren,  were  all  to  be  seen 
enlivening  the  fields  with  their  presence  and  their 
songs ;  while  the  soaring  fish-hawk  was  already  ho 
vering  over  the  waters  of  the  Otsego,  watching, 
with  his  native  voracity,  for  the  appearance  of  his 
prey. 

The  tenants  oi  the  lake  were  far-famed  for  both 


332  THE   PIONEERS. 

their  quantities  and  their  quality,  and  the  ice  had 
hardly  disappeared,  before  numberless  little  boats 
were  launched  from  the  shores,  and  the  lines  of 
the  fishermen  were  dropped  into  the  inmost  re 
cesses  of  its  deepest  caverns,  tempting  the  unwary 
animals  with  every  variety  of  bait  that  the  ingenu 
ity  or  the  art  of  man  had  invented.  But  the  slow, 
though  certain  adventures  with  a  hook  and  line 
were  ill-suited  to  the  profusion  and  impatience  of 
the  settlers. — More  destructive  means  were  resort 
ed  to ;  and,  as  the  season  had  now  arrived  when 
the  bass-fisheries  were  allowed  by  the  provisions 
of  the  law  that  Judge  Temple  had  procured,  the 
Sheriff  declared  his  intention,  by  availing  himself 
of  the  first  dark  night,  to  enjoy  the  sport  in  person — 

"  And  you  shall  be  present,  cousin  Bess,"  he 
added,  when  he  announced  this  intention,  "  and 
Miss  Grant,  and  Mr.  Edwards  ;  and  I  will  show 
you  what  I  call  fishing — not  nibble,  nibble,  nibble, 
as  'duke  does  when  he  goes  after  the  salmon-trout. 
There  he  will  sit  for  hours,  in  a  broiling  sun,  or, 
perhaps,  over  a  hole  in  the  ice,  in  the  coldest  days 
in  winter,  under  the  lee  of  a  few  bushes,  and  not 
a  fish  will  he  catch,  after  all  this  mortification  of 
the  flesh.  No,  no*— give  me  a  good  seine  that's 
fifty  or  sixty  fathoms  in  length,  with  a  jolly  parcel 
of  boatmen  to  crack  their  jokes  the  while,  and 
with  Benjamin  to  steer,  and  let  us  haul  them  in 
by  thousands,  and  I  shall  call  that  fishing." 

"  Ah  !  Dickon,"  cried  Marmaduke,  "  thou  know- 
est  but  little  of  the  pleasure  there  is  in  playing 
with  the  hook  and  line,  or  thou  wouldst  be  more 
saving  of  the  game.  I  have  known  thee  to  leave 
fragments  enough  behind  thee,  when  thou  hast 
headed  a  night-party  on  the  lake,  to  feed  a  half- 
dozen  famishing  families." 

"  I  shall  not  dispute  the  matter  with  you.  Judge 


THE   PIONEERS.  333 

Temple,"  said  the  Sheriff  with  much  dignity ;  "  this 
night  will  I  go  ;  and  I  invite  the  company  to  attend, 
and  then  let  them  decide  between  us." 

Richard  was  busy,  during  most  of  the  afternoon, 
making  his  preparations  for  the  important  occasion. 
Just  as  the  light  of  the  setting  sun  had  disappeared, 
and  a  new  moon  had  begun  to  cause  faint  shadows 
to  be  seen  on  the  earth,  the  fishermen  took  their 
departure  in  a  boat,  for  a  point  that  was  situated 
on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  at  the  distance 
of  rather  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  village. 
The  ground  had  become  settled,  and  the  walking 
was  good  and  dry.  Marmaduke,  with  his  daugh 
ter,  her  friend,  and  young  Edwards,  continued  on 
the  high  grassy  banks  at  the  outlet  of  the  placid 
sheet  of  water,  watching  the  dark  object  that  was 
moving  with  great  rapidity  across  the  lake,  until  it 
entered  the  shade  of  the  western  hills,  and  was 
lost  to  the  eye.  The  distance  round  by  land  to 
the  point  of  their  destination  was  a  mile,  and  he 
observed — 

"  It  is  time  for  us  to  be  moving ;  the  moon  will 
be  down  ere  we  reach  the  point,  and  then  the  mi 
raculous  hauls  of  Dickon  will  commence." 

The  evening  was  warm,  and  after  the  long  and 
dreary  winter  from  which  they  had  just  escaped, 
delightfully  invigorating,  both  to  the  mind  and 
body.  Inspirited  by  the  scene  and  their  antici 
pated  amusement  the  youthful  companions  of  the 
Judge  followed  his  steps,  as  he  led  them  along  the 
shores  of  the  Otsego,  and  through  the  skirts  of  the 
little  village. 

"  See  !"  said  young  Edwards,  "  they  are  build 
ing  their  fire  already  ;  it  glimmers  for  a  moment, 
and  then  dies  again  like  the  light  of  a  fire-fly." 

"  Now  it  blazes  like  a  bonfire  ?"  cried  Eliza- 


334  THE  PIONEERS. 

beth ;  "  you  can  see  the  figures  moving  around  the 
light.  Oh !  I  would  bet  my  jewels  against  the  gold 
beads  of  Remarkable,  that  my  impatient  cousin 
Dickon  had  an  agency  in  raising  that  bright  flame  ; 
• — and  see  ;  it  begins  to  fade  again,  like  most  of  his 
brilliant  schemes." 

"  Thou  hast  guessed  the  truth,  Bess,"  said  her 
father ;  "he  has  thrown  an  armful  of  brush  on  the 
pile,  which  has  burnt  out  as  soon  as  lighted.  But 
it  has  enabled  them  to  find  a  better  fuel,  for  their 
fire  begins  to  blaze  with  a  more  steady  flame.  It 
is  the  true  fisherman's  beacon  now  ;  observe  how 
beautifully  it  throws  its  little  circle  of  light  on  the 
water!" 

The  appearance  of  the  fire  urged  the  pedestri 
ans  on,  for  even  the  ladies  had  become  eager  to 
witness  the  draught  of  the  seine.  By  the  time  they 
reached  the  bank,  which  rose  above  the  low  point 
where  the  fisherman  had  landed,  the  moon  had 
sunk  behind  the  tops  of  the  western  pines,  and,  as 
most  of  the  stars  were  obscured  by  the  clouds, 
there  was  but  little  other  light,  by  which  to  view 
the  scene,  than  that  which  proceeded  from  the 
large  piles  of  brush,  branches,  and  roots,  that  had 
been  collected,  under  the  superintendence  of  Ri 
chard.  At  the  suggestion  of  Marmaduke,  his  com 
panions  paused  to  listen  to  the  conversation  of 
those  below  them,  and  examine  the  party,  for  a 
moment,  before  they  descended  to  the  shore. 

The  whole  group  were  seated  around  the  fire, 
on  the  ground,  with  the  exception  of  Richard  and 
Benjamin ;  the  former  of  whom  occupied  the  root 
of  a  decayed  stump,  that  had  been  drawn  to  the 
spot  as  part  of  their  fuel,  and  the  latter  was  stand 
ing,  with  his  arms  a-kimbo,  so  near  to  the  flame, 
that  the  smoke  occasionally  obscured  his  solemn 


THE   PIONEERS.  335 

visage,  as  it  waved  around  the  pile,  in  obedience 
to  the  light  night-airs,  that  swept  gently  over  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

"  Why,  look  you,  Squire,"  said  the  Major-do 
mo,  "you  may  call  a  lake-fish  that  will  weigh 
twenty  or  thirty  pounds  a  serious  matter ;  but  to 
a  man  who  has  hauled  in  a  shovel-nosed  shirk,  d'ye 
see,  it's  but  a  poor  kind  of  fishing  after  all." 

"  I  don't  know,  Benjamin,"  returned  the  She 
riff;  "  a  haul  of  one  thousand  Otsego  bass,  with 
out  counting  pike,  pickerel,  perch,  bull-pouts,  sal- 
mon-trouts,  and  suckers,  is  no  bad  fishing,  let  me 
tell  you.  There  may  be  sport  in  sticking  a  shark, 
but  what  is  he  good  for  after  you  have  got  him  ? 
Now  any  one  of  the  fish  that  I  have  named  is  fit  to 
set  before  a  king." 

"  Well,  Squire,"  returned  Benjamin,  "just  lis 
ten  to  the  philosophy  of  the  thing.  Would  it 
stand  to  reason,  that  such  fish  should  live  and  be 
catched  in  this  here  little  pond  of  water,  where  it's 
hardly  deep  enough  to  drown  a  man,  as  you'll  find 
in  the  wide  ocean,  where,  as  every  body  knows, 
that  is,  every  body  that  has  followed  the  seas, 
whales  and  grampuses  are  to  be  seen,  that  are  as 
long  as  one  of  them  pine  trees  on  yonder  moun 
tain  ?" 

"Softly,  softly,  Benjamin,"  said  the  Sheriff, 
using  a  soothing  manner,  as  if  he  wished  to  save 
the  credit  of  his  favourite ;  "  why  some  of  the 
pines  will  measure  full  two  hundred  feet,  and  even 
more." 

"Two  hundred  or  two  thousand,  it's  all  the 
same  thing,"  cried  Benjamin,  with  an  air  which 
manifested  that  he  was  not  easily  to  be  bullied  out 
of  his  opinion,  on  a  subject  like  the  present — - 
"  Haven't  I  been  there,  and  haven't  I  seen  ?  I  have 
said  that  you  fall  in  with  whales  as  long  as  one  of 


336  THE   PIONEERS. 

them  there  pines ;  and  I'll  stand  to  what  I  have 
once  said." 

During  this  dialogue,  which  was  evidently  but 
the  close  of  a  much  longer  discussion,  the  huge 
frame  of  Billy  Kirby  was  seen  extended  on  one 
side  of  the  fire,  where  he  was  picking  his  teeth 
with  the  splinters  of  the  chips  that  were  near  him, 
and  occasionally  shaking  his  head,  with  the  distrust 
that  was  engendered  by  the  marvellous  qualities 
of  Benjamin's  assertions.  It  seems  that  he  now 
thought  it  time  to  advance  his  sentiments  on  the 
subject. 

"  I've  a  notion,"  said  the  wood-chopper,  "  that 
there's  water  in  this  lake  to  swim  the  biggest  whale 
that  ever  was  invented ;  and,  as  to  the  pines,  I 
think  I  ought  to  know  so'thing  consarning  them ; 
and  I  have  chopped  many  a  one  that  was  sixty 
times  the  length  of  my  helve,  without  counting  the 
eyes ;  and  I  b'lieve,  Benny,  that  if  the  old  pine 
that  stands  in  the  hollow  of  the  Vision  Mountain, 
just  over  the  village,  and  you  may  see  the  tree  it 
self  by  looking  up,  for  the  moon  is  on  its  top  yet ; 
— well,  now  I  b'lieve,  that  if  that  same  tree  was 
planted  out  in  the  deepest  part  of  the  lake,  there 
would  be  water  enough  for  the  biggest  ship  that 
ever  was  built  to  float  over  it,  without  touching  its 
upper  branches,  I  do." 

"  Did'ee  ever  see  a  ship,  Master  Kirby  ?"  roar 
ed  the  steward — "  did'ee  ever  see  a  ship,  man  ?  or 
any  craft  bigger  than  a  lime-scow,  or  a  wood-boat, 
on  this  here  small  bit  of  fresh  water  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  said  the  wood-chopper,  stoutly ; 
"  I  can  say  that  I  have,  and  tell  no  lie." 

"  Did'ee  ever  see  a  British  ship,  Master  Kirby  ? 
an  English  line-of-battle  ship,  boy  ?  Where  away 
did'ee  ever  fall  in  with  a  regular-built  vessel,  with 
starn-post  and  cut- water,  garboard  streak  and 


THE    PIONEERS.  337 

plank-shear,  gangways,  and  hatchways,  and  water 
ways,  quarter-deck  and  forecastle,  ay,  and  flush- 
deck  ? — tell  me  that,  man,  if  you  can  ;  where  away 
did'ee  ever  fall  in  with  such  a  hooker  ;  a  full-rig 
ged,  regular-built,  decked  vessel  ?" 

The  whole  company  were  a  good  deal  astounded 
with  this  overwhelming  question,  and  even  Richard 
afterward  remarked,  that  it  "  was  a  thousand  pities 
that  Benjamin  could  not  read,  or  he  must  have 
made  a  valuable  officer  to  the  British  marine.  It 
was  no  wonder  that  they  overcome  the  French  so 
easily  on  the  water,  when  even  the  lowest  sailor 
so  well  understood  the  different  parts  of  a  vessel." 
But  Billy  Kirby  was  a  fearless  wight,  and  had  great 
jealousy  of  foreign  dictation  ;  he  had  arisen  on  his 
feet,  and  turned  his  back  to  the  fire,  during  the 
voluble  delivery  of  this  interrogatory ;  and  when 
the  steward  ended,  contrary  to  all  expectation,  he 
gave  the  following  spirited  reply : — 

"  Where  !  why  on  the  North  River,  and  maybe 
on  Champlain.  There's  sloops  on  the  river,  boy, 
that  would  give  a  hard  time  on't  to  the  stoutest 
vessel  King  George  owns.  They  carry  masts  of 
ninety  feet  in  the  clear,  of  good,  solid  pine,  for  I've 
been  at  the  chopping  of  many  a  one  in  Varmount 
state!  I  wish  I  ^was  captain  of  one  of  them,  and 
you  was  in  that  Board-dish  that  you  tell  so  much 
about ;  and  we'd  soon  see  what  good  Yankee  stuff 
is  made  on,  and  whether  a  Varmounter's  hide  an't 
as  thick  as  an  Englishman's." 

The  echoes  from  the  opposite  hills,  which  were 
more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  fishing  point,  sent 
back  the  discordant  laugh  that  Benjamin  gave  forth 
at  this  challenge  ;  and  the  woods  that  covered  their 
sides,  seemed,  by  the  noise  that  issued  from  their 
shades,  to  be  full  of  mocking  demons. 

"  Let  us  descend  to  the  shore,"  whispered  Mar- 
29 


338  THE    PIONEERS. 

maduke,  "  or  there  will  soon  be  ill  blood  between 
them.  Benjamin  is  a  fearless  boaster,  and  Kirby, 
though  good-natured,  is  a  careless  son  of  the  forest, 
who  thinks  one  American  more  than  a  match  for  six 
Englishmen.  I  marvel  that  Dickon  is  silent,  where 
there  is  such  a  trial  of  skill  in  the  superlative  !" 

The  appearance  of  Judge  Temple  and  the  ladies 
produced,  if  not  a  pacification,  at  least  a  cessation 
of  hostilities.  Obedient  to  the  directions  of  Mr. 
Jones,  the  fishermen  prepared  to  launch  their  boat, 
which  had  been  seen  in  the  back-ground  of  the 
view,  with  the  net  carefully  disposed  on  a  little 
platform  in  its  stern,  ready  for  instant  service.  Ri 
chard  gave  vent  to  his  reproaches  at  the  tardiness 
of  the  pedestrians,  when  all  the  turbulent  passions 
of  the  party  were  succeeded  by  a  calm,  as  mild  and 
as  placid  as  that  which  prevailed  over  the  beauti 
ful  sheet  of  water,  that  they  were  about  to  rifle  of 
its  best  treasures. 

The  night  had  now  become  so  dark  as  to  render 
objects,  without  the  reach  of  the  light  from  their 
fire,  not  only  indistinct,  but,  in  most  cases,  invisi 
ble.  For  a  little  distance  the  water  was  discerni 
ble,  glistening,  as  the  glare  from  the  fire  danced 
over  its  surface,  touching  it,  here  and  there,  with 
red,  quivering  streaks  ;  but  at  a  hundred  feet  from 
the  shore,  a  boundary  of  impenetrable  gloom  op 
posed  itself  to  the  vision.  One  or  two  stars  were 
shining  through  the  openings  of  the  clouds,  and  the 
lights  were  seen  in  the  village,  glimmering  faintly, 
as  if  at  an  immeasurable  distance.  At  times,  as 
their  fire  lowered,  or  as  the  horizon  cleared,  the 
outline  of  the  mountain,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,  might  be  traced,  by  its  undulations ;  but  its 
shadow  was  cast,  wide  and  dense,  on  the  bosom  oi 
the  waters,  rendering  the  darkness,  in  that  direc 
tion,  trebly  deep. 


THE   PIONEERS.  339 

Benjamin  Pump  was  invariably  the  cockswain 
and  net-caster  of  Richard's  boat,  unless  the  Sheriff 
saw  fit  to  preside  in  person ;  and,  on  the  present 
occasion,  Billy  Kirby,  and  a  youth  of  about  half 
his  strength,  were  assigned  to  the  duty  at  the  oars. 
The  remainder  of  the  assistants  were  stationed  at 
the  ropes,  for  the  laborious  service  of  hauling  the 
net  to  land.  The  arrangements  were  speedily 
made,  and  Richard  gave  the  signal  to  "  shove  off." 

Elizabeth  watched  the  motion  of  the  batteau,  as 
it  pulled  from  the  shore,  letting  loose  its  rope  as  it 
went,  but  it  soon  disappeared  in  the  darkness, 
when  her  ear  was  her  only  guide  to  its  evolutions. 
There  was  a  great  affectation  of  stillness,  during 
all  these  manoeuvres,  in  order,  as  Richard  assured 
them,  "  not  to  frighten  the  bass,  who  were  running 
into  the  shoal  waters,  and  who  would  approach  the 
light,  if  not  disturbed  by  the  sounds  from  the  fish 
ermen." 

The  hoarse  voice  of  Benjamin  was  alone  heard, 
issuing  out  of  the  gloom,  as  he  uttered,  in  authori 
tative  tones,  "  pull  larboard  oar,"  "  pull  starboard," 
"  give  way  together,  boys,"  and  such  other  dicta- 
tive  mandates  as  were  necessary  for  the  right  dis 
position  of  his  seine.  A  long  time  was  passed  in 
this  necessary  part  of  the  process,  for  Benjamin 
prided  himself  greatly  on  his  skill  in  throwing  the 
net,  and,  in  fact,  most  of  the  success  of  the  sport 
depended  on  its  being  done  with  judgment.  At 
length  a  loud  splash  in  the  water,  as  he  threw  away 
the  "  staff,"  or  "  stretcher,"  with  a  hoarse  call  from 
the  steward,  of  "  clear,"  announced  that  the  boat 
was  returning  to  the  shore  ;  when  Richard  seized 
a  brand  from  the  fire,  and  ran  to  a  point,  as  far 
above  the  centre  of  the  fishing  ground,  as  the  one 
from  which  the  batteau  had  started  was  below  it. 

"  Stick  her  in  dead  for  the  Squire,  boys,"  said 


340 


THE    PIONEERS. 


the  steward,  "  and  we'll  have  a  look  at  what  there 
is  that  grows  in  this  here  pond." 

In  place  of  the  falling  net  were  now  to  be  heard 
the  quick  strokes  of  the  oars,  and  the  noise  of  the 
rope  running  out  of  the  boat.  Presently  the  bat- 
teau  shot  into  the  circle  of  light,  and  in  an  instant 
she  was  pulled  to  shore.  Several  eager  hands 
were  extended,  to  receive  the  "  hauling  line,  "and, 
both  ropes  being  equally  well  manned,  the  fisher 
men  commenced  hauling  in,  with  slow  and  steady 
drags,  Richard  standing  in  the  centre,  giving  or 
ders,  first  to  one  party  and  then  to  the  other,  to  in 
crease  or  slacken  their  efforts,  as  the  occasion  re 
quired.  The  visiters  were  posted  near  him,  and 
enjoyed  a  fair  view  of  the  whole  operation,  which 
was  slowly  advancing  to  an  end. 

Opinions,  as  to  the  result  of  their  adventure,  were 
now  freely  hazarded  by  all  the  men,  some  declaring 
that  the  net  came  in  as  light  as  a  feather,  and 
others  affirming  that  it  seemed  to  be  full  of  logs. 
As  the  ropes  were  many  hundred  feet  in  length, 
these  opposing  sentiments  were  thought  to  be  of 
little  moment  by  the  Sheriff,  who  would  go  first  to 
one  line  and  then  to  the  other,  giving  each  a  small 
pull,  in  order  to  enable  him  to  form  an  opinion  for 
himself. 

"  Why,  Benjamin,"  he  cried,  as  he  made  his 
first  effort  in  this  way,  "  you  did  not  throw  your 
net  clear.  I  can  move  it  with  my  little  finger. 
The  rope  slackens  in  my  hand." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  whale,  Squire  ?"  respond 
ed  the  steward :  "  I  say  that  if  that  there  net  is 
foul,  the  devil  is  in  the  lake  in  the  shape  of  a  fish, 
for  I  cast  it  as  fair  as  ever  rigging  was  rove  over 
the  quarter-deck  of  a  flag-ship." 

But  Richard  discovered  his  mistake,  when  he 
saw  Billy  Kirby  before  him,  standing  with  his  feet 


THE   PIONEERS.  341 

to  the  water,  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  in 
clining  shorewards,  and  expending  his  gigantic 
strength  in  sustaining  himself  in  that  posture.  He 
ceased  his  remonstrances,  and  proceeded  to  the 
party  at  the  other  line. 

"  I  see  the  c  staffs,' "  shouted  Mr.  Jones ; — "  ga 
ther  in,  boys,  and  away  with  it ;  to  shore  with  her 
— to  shore  with  her." 

At  this  cheerful  sound,  Elizabeth  strained  her 
eyes  and  saw  the  ends  of  the  two  sticks  on  the 
seine,  emerging  from  the  darkness,  while  the  men 
closed,  near  to  each  other,  and  formed  a  deep  bag 
of  their  net.  The  exertions  of  the  fishermen  sen 
sibly  increased,  and  the  voice  of  Richard  was 
heard  encouraging  them  to  make  their  greatest 
efforts  at  the  present  moment. 

"  Now's  the  time,  my  lads,"  he  cried  ;  "  let  us 
get  the  ends  to  land,  and  all  we  have  will  be  our 
own — away  with  her !" 

"  Away  with  her  it  is,"  echoed  Benjamin — 
u  hurrah  !  ho-a-hoy,  ho-a-hoy,  ho-a  !" 

"  In  with  her,"  shouted  Kirby,  exerting  himself 
ID  a  manner  that  left  nothing  for  those  in  his  rear 
to  do,  but  to  gather  up  the  slack  of  the  rope  which 
he  passed  through  his  hands. 

"  Staff,  ho  !"  shouted  the  steward. 

"  Staff,  ho  !"  echoed  Kirby,  from  the  other  rope. 

The  men  rushed  to  the  water's  edge,  some 
seizing  the  upper  rope,  and  some  the  lower,  or 
lead-rope,  and  began  to  haul  with  great  activity 
and  zeal.  A  deep  semicircular  sweep,  of  the  little 
balls  that  supported  the  seine  in  its  perpendicular 
position,  was  plainly  visible  to  the  spectators,  and, 
as  it  rapidly  lessened  in  size,  the  bag  of  the  net 
appeared,  while  an  occasional  flutter  on  the  water 
announced  the  uneasiness  of  the  prisoners  it  con 
tained. 

29  * 


342 


THE    PIONEERS. 


"  Haul  in,  my  lads,"  shouted  Richard — "  I  can 
see  the  dogs  lacking  to  get  free.  Haul  in,  and 
here's  a  cast  that  will  pay  you  for  the  labour." 

Fishes  of  various  sorts  now  were  to  be  seen,  en 
tangled  in  the  meshes  of  the  net,  as  it  was  passed 
through  the  hands  of  the  labourers ;  and  the  water, 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  shore,  was  alive  with 
the  agitated  movements  of  the  alarmed  victims. 
Hundreds  of  white  sides  were  glancing  up  to  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  glistening  in  the  fire 
light,  when  frightened  at  the  uproar  and  the  change, 
the  fish  would  again  dart  to  the  bottom,  in  fruitless 
efforts  for  freedom. 

"  Hurrah !"  shouted  Richard  again ;  "  one  or 
two  more  heavy  drags,  boys,  and  we  are  safe." 

"  Cheerily,  boys,  cheerily !"  cried  Benjamin ; 
"  I  see  a  salmon-trout  that  is  big  enough  for  a 
chowder." 

"  Away  with  you,  you  varmint !"  said  Billy 
Kirby,  plucking  a  bull-pout  from  the  meshes,  and 
casting  the  animal  back  into  the  lake  with  great 
contempt.  "  Pull,  boys,  pull ;  here's  all  kinds,  and 
the  Lord  condemn  me  for  a  liar,  if  there  an't  a 
thousand  bass !" 

Inflamed  beyond  the  bounds  of  discretion  at  the 
sight,  and  forgetful  of  the  season,  the  wood-chop 
per  rushed  to  his  middle  in  the  water,  and  began 
to  drive  the  reluctant  animals  before  him  from  their 
native  element. 

"  Pull  heartily,  boys,"  cried  Marmaduke,  yield 
ing  to  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  and  laying 
his  hands  to  the  net,  with  no  trifling  addition  to  the 
force.  Edwards  had  preceded  him,  for  the  sight 
of  the  immense  piles  of  fish,  that  were  slowly  roll 
ing  over  on  the  gravelly  beach,  had  impelled  him 
also  to  leave  the  ladies,  and  join  the  fishermen. 

Great  care  was  observed  in  bringing  the  net  to 


THE    PIONEERS.  343 

land,  and,  after  much  toil,  the  whole  shoal  of  vic 
tims  were  safe  deposited  in  a  hollow  of  the  bank, 
where  they  were  left  to  flutter  away  their  brief 
existence  in  their  new  and  fatal  element. 

Even  Elizabeth  and  Louisa  were  greatly  excited 
and  highly  gratified  by  seeing  two  thousand  cap 
tives  thus  drawn  from  the  bosom  of  the  lake,  and 
laid  prisoners  at  their  feet.  But  when  the  feelings 
of  the  moment  were  passing  away,  Marmaduke 
took  in  his  hands  a  bass,  that  might  have  weighed 
two  pounds,  and  after  viewing  it  a  moment,  in  me 
lancholy  musing,  he  turned  to  his  daughter,  and 
observed — 

"  This  is  a  fearful  expenditure  of  the  choicest 
gifts  of  providence.  These  fish,  Bess,  which  thou 
seest  lying  in  such  piles  before  thee,  and  which, 
by  to-morrow  evening,  will  be  rejected  food  on 
the  meanest  table  in  Templeton,  are  of  a  quality 
and  flavour  that,  in  other  countries,  would  make 
them  esteemed  a  luxury  on  the  tables  of  princes  or 
epicures.  The  world  has  no  better  fish  than  the 
bass  of  Otsego :  it  unites  the  richness  of  the  shad 
to  the  firmness  of  the  salmon." 

"  But  surely,  dear  sir,"  cried  Elizabeth,  "  they 
must  prove  a  great  blessing  to  the  country,  and  a 
powerful  friend  to  the  poor." 

"  The  poor  are  always  prodigal,  my  child,  where 
there  is  plenty,  and  seldom  think  of  a  provision 
against  the  morrow.  But  if  there  can  be  any  ex 
cuse  for  destroying  animals  in  this  manner,  it  is 
in  taking  the  bass.  During  the  winter,  you  know, 
they  are  entirely  protected  from  our  assaults  by 
the  ice,  for  they  ever  refuse  the  hook  ;  and  during 
the  hot  months  they  are  not  seen.  It  is  supposed 
they  retreat  to  the  deep  ind  cool  waters  of  the 
lake,  at  that  season  ;  and  it  is  only  in  the  spring  and 


344  THE    PIONEERS. 

autumn,  that,  for  a  few  days,  they  are  to  be  found 
around  the  points  where  they  are  within  the  reach 
of  a  seine.  But,  like  all  the  other  treasures  of  the 
wilderness,  they  already  begin  to  disappear  before 
the  wasteful  extravagance  of  man." 

"  Disappear,  'duke  !  disappear !"  exclaimed  the 
Sheriff;  "if  you  don't  call  this  appearing,  I  know 
not  what  you  will.  Here  are  a  good  thousand  of 
the  shiners,  some  hundreds  of  suckers,  and  a  pow 
erful  quantity  of  other  fry,  But  this  is  always  the 
way  with  you,  Marmaduke  ;  first  it's  the  trees, 
then  it's  the  deer,  after  that  it's  the  maple  sugar, 
and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  One  day  you 
talk  of  canals  through  a  country  where  there's  a 
river  or  a  lake  every  half-mile,  just  because  the 
water  won't  run  the  way  you  wish  it  to  go ;  and 
the  next,  you  say  something  about  mines  of  coal, 
though  any  man  who  has  good  eyes  like  myself — 
I  say  with  good  eyes — can  see  more  wood  than 
would  keep  the  city  of  London  in  fuel  for  fifty 
years  ;  wouldn't  it,  Benjamin  ?" 

"  Why,  for  that,  Squire,"  said  the  steward, 
"  Lon'on  is  no  small  place.  If  it  was  stretched  an 
end,  all  the  same  as  a  town  on  one  side  of  a  river, 
it  would  cover  some  such  matter  as  this  here  lake. 
Tho'f  I  dar.'st  to  say,  that  the  wood  in  sight 
might  sarve  them  a  good  turn,  seeing  that  the 
Lon'oners  mainly  burn  coal." 

"  Now  we  are  on  the  subject  of  coal,  Judge 
Temple,"  interrupted  the  Sheriff,  "  I  have  a  thing 
of  much  importance  to  communicate  to  you  ;  but  I 
will  defer  it  until  to-morrow.  I  know  that  you  in 
tend  riding  into  the  eastern  part  of  the  patent,  and 
I  will  accompany  you,  and  conduct  you  to  a  spot, 
where  some  of  your  projects  may  be  realized.  We 
will  say  no  more  now,  sir,  for  there  are  listeners ; 


THE   PIONEERS  345 

but  a  secret  has  this  evening  been  revealed  to  me, 
'duke,  that  is  of  more  consequence  to  your  wel 
fare,  than  all  your  estates  united." 

Marmaduke  laughed  at  the  important  intelli 
gence,  to  which  in  a  variety  of  shapes  he  was  ac 
customed,  and  the  Sheriff,  with  an  air  of  great  dig- 
ty,  as*  if  pitying  his  want  of  faith,  proceeded  in  the 
business  more  immediately  before  them.  As  the 
labour  of  drawing  the  net  had  been  very  great,  he 
directed  one  party  of  his  men  to  commence  throw 
ing  the  fish  into  piles,  preparatory  to  the  usual  di 
vision,  while  another,  under  the  superintendence 
of  Benjamin,  prepared  the  seine  for  a  second  haul. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


<•  While  from  its  margin,  terrible  to  tell ! 
Three  sailors  with  their  gallant  boatswain  fell." 

Falconer. 


WHILE  the  fishermen  were  employed  in  making 
the  preparations  for  an  equitable  division  of  their 
spoils,  Elizabeth  and  her  friend  strolled  to  a  short 
distance  from  the  group,  along  the  shores  of  the 
lake.  The  shades  of  evening  had  been  gradually 
gathering  around  the  scene,  during  the  draught  of 
the  net,  and,  while  the  objects  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
fire  were  still  distinct,  and  even  vivid,  the  •  sur 
rounding  darkness  became  deeper,  both  by  the 
contrast,  and  the  advancing  dominion  of  the  night. 
After  reaching  a  point,  to  which  even  the  brightest 
of  the  occasional  gleams  of  light  from  the  fire  did 
not  extend,  the  ladies  turned,  and  paused  a  mo 
ment,  in  contemplation  of  the  busy  and  lively  party 
they  had  left,  and  of  the  obscurity,  which,  like  the 
gloom  of  oblivion,  seemed  to  envelope  the  rest  of 
the  creation. 

"  This  is  indeed  a  subject  for  the  pencil !"  ex 
claimed  Elizabeth.  "  Observe  the  countenance 
of  that  wood-chopper,  while  he  exults  in  present 
ing  a  larger  fish  than  common  to  my  cousin  Sheriff; 
and  see,  Louisa,  how  handsome  and  considerate 
my  dear  father  looks,  by  the  light  of  that  fire, 


THE    PIONEERS.  347 

where  he  stands  viewing  the  havoc  of  the  game. 
He  seems  really  melancnoly,  as  if  he  actually 
thought  that  a  day  of  retribution  was  to  follow  this 
hour  of  abundance  and  prodigality  !  Would  they 
not  make  a  fine  picture,  Louisa  ?" 

"  You  know  that  I  am  ignorant  of  all  such  ac 
complishments,  Miss  Temple." 

"  Call  me  by  my  Christian  name,"  interrupted 
Elizabeth;  "  this  is  not  a  place,  neither  is  this  a 
scene,  for  the  observance  of  forms." 

"  Well,  then,  if  I  may  venture  an  opinion,"  said 
Louisa,  timidly,  "  I  should  think  it  might  indeed 
make  a  picture.  The  selfish  earnestness  of  that 
Kirby  over  his  fish  would  contrast  finely  with  the 
— the — expression  of  Mr.  Edwards's  face.  I  hardly 
know  what  to  call  it ;  but  it  is — a — is — you  know 
what  I  would  say,  dear  Elizabeth." 

"  You  do  me  too  much  credit,  Miss  Grant,"  said 
the  heiress ;  "  I  am  no  diviner  of  thoughts,  or  in 
terpreter  of  expressions." 

There  was  certainly  nothing  harsh,  or  even 
cold,  in  the  manner  of  the  speaker,  but  still  it 
repressed  the  conversation  for  a  moment,  and  the 
maidens  continued  to  stroll  still  further  from  their 
party,  retaining  each  other's  arm,  but  observing  a 
profound  silence.  Elizabeth,  perhaps,  conscious 
of  the  improper  phraseology  of  her  last  speech,  or 
perhaps  excited  by  the  new  object  that  met  her 
wandering  gaze,  was  the  first  to  break  the  present 
awkward  cessation  in  the  discourse,  by  exclaiming, 
in  all  the  richness  of  her  animated  and  animating 
voice — 

"  Look,  Louisa !  we  are  not  alone ;  there  are 
fishermen  lighting  a  fire  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,  immediately  opposite  to  us ;  it  must  be  in 
front  of  the  cabin  of  the  Leather-stocking !" 

For  some  cause  or  other,  Miss  Grant  had  kept 


348  THE    PIONEERS. 

her  eyes  bent  in  the  direction  of  the  pebbles,  over 
which  she  was  walking ;  probably  because,  being 
less  adventurous  than  her  companion,  she  was  dis 
posed  to  view  what  could  be  faintly  discerned, 
without  attempting  the  gloom,  in  a  vain  effort  to 
pierce  its  mysteries  ;  or  probably  for  some  bettei 
reason,  that  we  leave  our  readers  to  imagine ;  but 
thus  awakened,  she  looked  up,  in  the  direction 
pointed  out  by  her  friend,  and  saw,  at  once,  the 
cause  of  her  sudden  exclamation. 

Through  the  obscurity,  which  prevailed  most 
immediately  under  the  eastern  mountain,  a  small 
and  uncertain  light  was  plainly  to  be  seen,  though 
as  it  was  occasionally  lost  to  the  eye,  it  seemed 
struggling  for  its  existence.  They  observed  it  to 
move,  and  sensibly  to  lower,  as  if  carried  down  the 
descent  of  the  bank  to  the  shore.  Here,  in  a  very 
short  time,  its  flame  gradually  expanded,  and  grew 
brighter,  until  it  became  of  the  size  of  a  man's  head, 
when  it  continued  to  shine,  a  steady  and  glaring 
ball  of  fire. 

Such  an  object,  lighted  as  it  were  by  magic,  un 
der  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  and  in  that  retired 
and  unfrequented  place,  gave  double  interest  to 
the  beauty  and  singularity  of  its  appearance.  It 
did  not  at  all  resemble  the  large  and  unsteady  light 
of  their  own  fire,  being  much  more  clear  and 
bright,  and  retaining  its  size  and  shape  with  per 
fect  uniformity. 

There  are  moments  when  the  best  regulated 
minds  are,  more  or  less,  subjected  to  the  injurious 
impressions  which  few  have  escaped  in  infancy, 
and  Elizabeth  smiled  at  her  own  weakness,  while 
she  remembered  the  idle  tales  which  were  circu 
lated  through  the  village,  at  the  expense  of  the 
Leather-stocking.  The  same  ideas  seized  her  com 
panion,  and  at  the  same  instant,  for  Louisa  pressed 


THE   PIONEERS.  349 

nearer  to  her  friend,  as  she  said  in  a  low  voice, 
stealing  a  timid  glance  towards  the  bushes  and 
trees  that  overhung  the  bank  near  them — 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  the  singulai  ways  of  this 
Natty  spoken  of,  Miss  Temple  ?  They  say  that, 
in  his  youth,  he  was  an  Indian  warrior,  or,  what  is 
the  same  thing,  a  white  man  leagued  with  the  sa 
vages  ;  and  it  is  thought  he  has  been  concerned  in 
many  of  their  inroads,  in  the  old  wars." 

"  The  thing  is  not  at  all  improbable,"  returned 
Elizabeth ;  "  but  he  is  not  alone  in  that  particular." 

"  No,  surely  ;  but  is  it  not  strange,  that  he  is  so 
cautious  with  his  hut  ?  he  never  leaves  it,  without 
fastening  it  in  a  remarkable  manner  ;  and,  in  seve 
ral  instances,  when  the  children,  or  even  the  men 
of  the  village,  have  wished  to  seek  a  shelter  there 
from  the  storms,  he  has  been  known  to  drive  them 
from  his  door,  with  rudeness  and  threats.  That 
surely  is  singular  in  this  country !" 

"  It  is  certainly  not  being  very  hospitable  ;  but 
we  must  remember  his  aversion  to  the  customs  of 
civilized  life.  You  heard  my  father  say,  a  few 
days  since,  how  kindly  he  was  treated  by  him  on 
his  first  visit  to  this  place."  Elizabeth  paused,  and 
smiled,  with  an  expression  of  peculiar  archness, 
though  the  darkness  hid  its  meaning  from  her  com 
panion,  as  she  continued : — "  Besides,  he  certainly 
admits  the  visits  of  Mr.  Edwards,  whom  we  both 
know  to  be  far  from  a  savage." 

To  this  speech  Louisa  made  no  reply,  but  con 
tinued  gazing  on  the  object  which  had  elicited  her 
remarks.  In  addition  to  the  bright  and  circular 
flame  was  now  to  be  seen  a  fainter  though  a  vivid 
light,  of  an  equal  diameter  to  the  other  at  the  up 
per  end,  but  which,  after  extending  downward  for 
many  feet,  gradually  tapered  to  a  point  at  its  lower 
extremity.  A  dark  space  was  plainly  visible  be- 
30 


350  THE    PIONEERS. 

tween  the  two,  and  the  new  illumination  was 
placed  beneath  the  other,  the  whole  forming  an 
appearance  not  unlike  an  inverted  note  of  admira 
tion.  It  was  soon  evident  that  the  latter  was  no 
thing  but  the  reflection,  from  the  water,  of  the 
former,  and  that  the  object,  whatever  it  might  be, 
was  advancing  across,  or  rather  over  the  lake,  for 
it  seemed  to  be  several  feet  above  its  surface,  in  a 
direct  line  with  themselves.  Its  motion  was 
amazingly  rapid,  the  ladies  having  hardly  discover 
ed  that  it  was  moving  at  all,  before  the  waving 
light  of  a  flame  was  discerned,  losing  its  regular 
shape,  while  it  increased  in  size,  as  it  approached 
them. 

"  It  appears  to  be  supernatural !"  whispered 
Louisa,  beginning  to  retrace  her  steps  towards  the 
jarty. 

"  It  is  beautiful !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth. 

A  brilliant  though  waving  flame  was  now  plainly 
visible,  gracefully  gliding  over  the  lake,  and  throw 
ing  its  light  on  the  water  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
tinge  it  slightly ;  though  in  the  air,  so  strong  was 
the  contrast,  the  darkness  seemed  to  have  the  dis 
tinctness  of  material  substances,  as  if  the  fire  were 
imbedded  in  a  setting  of  ebony.  This  appearance, 
however,  gradually  wore  off,  and  the  rays  from 
the  torch  struck  out,  and  enlightened  the  atmo 
sphere  in  front  of  it,  leaving  the  back-ground  in 
a  darkness  that  was  more  impenetrable  than  ever. 

"  Ho  !  Natty,  is  that  you  ?»  shouted  the  Sheriff 
— "  paddle  in,  old  boy,  and  I'll  give  you  a  mess  of 
fish  that  is  fit  to  place  before  the  Governor." 

The  light  suddenly  changed  its  direction,  and  a 
long  and  slightly-built  boat  hove  up  out  of  the 
gloom,  while  the  red  glare  fell  on  the  weather- 
beaten  features  of  the  Leather-stocking,  whose  tall 
person  was  seen  erect  in  the  frail  vessel,  wielding. 


THE   PIONEERS.  351 

•with  all  the  grace  of  an  experienced  boatman,  a 
long  fishing  spear,  which  he  held  by  its  centre,  first 
dropping  one  €nd  and  then  the  other  into  the  wa 
ter,  to  aid  in  propelling  the  little  canoe  of  bark, 
we  will  not  say  through,  but  over  the  water.  At 
the  farther  end  of  the  vessel,  a  form  was  faintly 
seen,  guiding  its  motions,  and  using  a  paddle  with 
the  ease  of  one  who  felt  there  was  no  necessity  for 
extraordinary  exertions.  The  Leather-stocking 
struck  his  spear  lightly  against  the  short  staff  which 
upheld,  on  a  rude  grating  framed  of  old  hoops  of 
iron,  the  knots  of  pine  that  composed  the  fuel,  and 
the  light,  which  glared  high,  for  an  instant  fell  on 
the  swarthy  features,  and  dark,  glancing  eyes  of 
Mohegan. 

The  boat  glided  along  the  shore  until  it  arrived 
opposite  to  the  fishing-ground,  when«it  again 
changed  its  direction,  and  moved  on  to  the  land, 
with  a  motion  so  graceful,  and  yet  so  rapid,  that  it 
seemed  to  possess  the  power  of  regulating  its  pro 
gress  by  its  own  volition.  The  water  in  front  of 
the  canoe  was  hardly  ruffled  by  its  passage,  and  no 
sound  betrayed  the  collision,  when  the  light  fabric 
shot  on  the  gravelly  beach,  for  nearly  half  its 
length,  Natty  receding  a  step  or  two  from  its  bow, 
in  order  to  facilitate  the  landing. 

"  Approach,  Mohegan,"  said  Marmaduke  :  "  ap 
proach,  Leather-stocking,  and  load  your  canoe  with 
bass.  It  would  be  a  shame  to  assail  the  animals 
with  the  spear,  when  such  multitudes  of  victims 
lie  here,  that  will  be  lost  as  food  for  the  want  of 
mouths  to  consume  them." 

"  No,  no,  Judge,"  returned  Natty,  his  tall  figure 
stalking  over  the  narrow  beach,  and  ascending  to 
the  little  grassy  bottom  where  the  fish  were  laid 
in  piles ;  "  I  eat  of  no  man's  wasty  ways.  I  strike 
my  spear  into  the  eels,  or  the  trout,  when  I  crave 


352  THE   PIONEERS. 

the  creaters,  but  I  would'nt  be  helping  to  such  a 
sinful  kind  of  fishing,  for  the  best  rifle  that  was 
ever  brought  out  from  the  old  countries.  If  they 
had  fur  like  a  beaver,  or  you  could  tan  their  hides, 
like  a  buck,  something  might  be  said  in  favour  of 
taking  them  by  the  thousands  with  your  nets ;  but 
as  God  made  them  for  man's  food,  and  for  no  other 
disarnable  reason,  I  call  it  sinful  and  wasty  to  catch 
more  than  can  be  eat." 

"  Your  reasoning  is  mine,"  cried  Marmaduke ; 
"  for  once,  old  hunter,  we  agree  in  our  opinions ; 
and  1  heartily  wish  we  could  make  a  convert  of  the 
Sheriff.  A  net  of  half  the  size  of  this  would  sup 
ply  the  whole  village  with  fish,  for  a  week,  at  one 
haul." 

The  Leather-stocking  did  not  relish  this  alliance 
in  sentiment,  and  he  shook  his  head  doubtingly,  as 
he  answered — 

"  No,  no  ;  we  are  not  much  of  one  mind,  Judge, 
or  you'd  never  turn  good  hunting  grounds  into 
stumpy  pastures.  And  you  fish  and  hunt  out  of 
rule ;  but  to  me,  the  flesh  is  sweeter,  where  the 
creater  has  some  chance  for  its  life ;  for  that  rea 
son,  I  always  use  a  single  ball,  even  if  it  be  at  a 
bird  or  a  squirrel ;  besides,  it  saves  lead,  for,  when 
a  body  knows  how  to  shoot,  one  piece  of  lead  is 
enough  for  all,  except  hard-lived  animals." 

The  Sheriff  heard  these  opinions  with  great  in 
dignation,  and  when  he  completed  the  last  arrange 
ment  for  the  division,  by  carrying,  with  his  own 
hands,  a  trout  of  a  large  size,  and  placing  it  on  four 
different  piles  in  succession,  as  his  changeful  ideas 
of  justice  required,  he  gave  vent  to  his  spleen  by 
exclaiming — 

a  A  very  pretty  confederacy,  indeed !  Judge 
Temple,  the  landlord  and  owner  of  a  township, 
with  Nathaniel  Bumppo,  a  lawless  squatter,  and 


THE   PIONEERS.  353 

professed  deer-killer,  in  order  to  preserve  the  game 
in  the  county!  But,  'duke,  when  I  fish,.  I  fish, 
and  don't  play  ; — so,  away,  boys,  for  another  haul, 
and  we'll  send  out  wagons  and  carts,  in  the  morn 
ing,  to  bring  in  our  prizes  !" 

Marmaduke  appeared  to  understand  that  all  op 
position  to  the  will  of  the  Sheriff  would  be  useless, 
and  he  strolled  from  the  fire  to  the  place  where 
the  canoe  of  the  hunters  lay,  whither  the  ladies 
and  Oliver  Edwards  had  already  preceded  him. 

Curiosity  induced  the  females  to  approach  this 
spot,  but  it  surely  was  a  different  motive  that  led 
the  youth  thither.  Elizabeth  examined  the  light 
ash  timbers,  and  thin  bark  covering  of  the  canoe, 
in  admiration  of  its  neat  but  simple  execution,  and 
with  wonder  that  any  human  being  could  be  so 
daring  as  to  trust  his  life  in  so  frail  a  vessel.  But 
the  youth  explained  to  her  the  buoyant  properties 
of  the  boat,  and  its  perfect  safety,  when  under 
proper  management,  adding,  in  such  glowing  terms, 
a  description  of  the  manner  in  which  the  fish  were 
struck  with  the  spear,  that  she  changed  suddenly, 
from  an  apprehension  of  the  danger  of  the  excur 
sion,  to  a  desire  to  participate  in  its  pleasures.  She 
even  ventured  a  proposition  to  that  effect  to  her 
father,  laughing  at  the  same  time,  at  her  own  wish, 
and  accusing  herself  of  acting  under  a  woman's  ca 
price. 

"  Say  not  so,  Bess,"  returned  the  Judge ;  "  I 
would  have  you  above  the  idle  fears  of  a  silly  girl. 
These  canoes  are  the  safest  kind  of  boats  to  those 
who  have  skill  and  steady  nerves.  I  have  crossed 
the  broadest  part  of  the  Oneida  in  one  much  small 
er  than  this." 

"  And  I  the  Ontary,"  interrupted  the  Leather- 
stocking  ;  "  and  that  with  squaws  in  the  canoe, 
too.  But  the  Delaware  women  be  used  to  th* 
30* 


354  THE   PIONEERS. 

paddle,  and  are  down  good  hands  in  a  boat  of  this 
nater.  If  the  young  woman  would  like  to  see  an 
old  man  strike  a  trout  for  his  breakfast,  she  is  wel 
come  to  a  seat  and  a  sight.  John  will  say  the 
same,  seeing  that  he  built  the  canoe,  which  was 
only  launched  yesterday  ;  for  I'm  not  over  curous 
at  such  small  work  as  brooms,  and  basket-making, 
and  other  like  Indian  trades." 

Natty  gave  the  heiress  one  of  his  significant 
laughs,  with  a  kind  nod  of  his  head,  when  he  con 
cluded  this  invitation  ;  but  Mohegan,  with  the  na 
tive  grace  of  an  Indian,  approached,  and  taking  her 
soft  white  hand  into  his  own  swarthy  and  wrinkled 
palm,  said — 

"  Come,  grand-daughter  of  Miquon,  and  John 
will  be  glad.  Trust  the  Indian  :  his  head  is  old, 
though  his  hand  is  not  steady.  The  young  Eagle 
will  go,  and  see  that  no  harm  hurts  his  sister." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Edwards,"  cried  Elizabeth,  blush 
ing  slightly,  "  your  friend,  Mohegan,  you  see,  has 
given  a  promise  for  you.  Do  you  redeem  the 
pledge  ?" 

"  With  my  life,  if  necessary.  Miss  Temple," 
cried  the  youth,  with  fervour.  "  The  sight  is 
worth  some  little  apprehension,  for  of  real  danger 
there  is  none.  I  will  go  with  you  and  Miss  Grant, 
however,  to  save  appearances." 

"  With  me  !"  exclaimed  Louisa ;  "  no,  not  with 
me,  Mr.  Edwards,  nor  surely  do  you  mean  to  trust 
yourself  in  that  slight  canoe." 

"  But  I  shall,  for  I  have  no  apprehensions  any 
longer,"  said  Elizabeth,  stepping  into  the  boat,  and 
taking  a  seat  where  the  Indian  directed.  "  Mr. 
Edwards,  you  may  remain,  as  three  do  seem  to  be 
enough  for  such  an  egg-shell." 

"  It  shall  hold  a  fourth,"  cried  the  young  man, 
springing  to  her  side,  with  a  violence  that  nearly 


THE    PIONEERS.  355 

shook  the  weak  fabric  of  the  vessel  asunder ; — 
"  pardon  me,  Miss  Temple,  that  I  do  not  permit 
these  venerable  Charons  to  take  you  to  the  shades 
unattended  by  your  genius.57 

"  Is  it  a  good  or  evil  spirit  ?"  asked  Elizabeth. 

"  Good  to  you." 

"  And  mine,"  added  the  maiden,  with  an  air  that 
strangely  blended  pique  with  satisfaction.  But  the 
motion  of  the  canoe  gave  rise  to  new  ideas,  and 
fortunately  afforded  a  good  excuse  to  the  young 
man  to  change  the  discourse. 

It  appeared  to  Elizabeth  that  they  glided  over 
the  water  by  magic,  so  easy  and  graceful  was  the 
manner  in  which  Mohegan  guided  his  little  bark. 
A  slight  gesture  with  his  spear  indicated  the  way 
in  which  the  Leather-stocking  wished  to  go,  and  a 
profound  silence  was  preserved  by  the  whole  party, 
as  a  precaution  necessary  to  the  success  of  their 
fishery.  The  shore,  at  that  point  of  the  lake,  ran 
gradually  off,  and  the  water  shoaled  regularly,  dif 
fering,  in  this  particular,  altogether,  from  those 
parts  where  the  mountains  rose,  nearly  in  perpen 
dicular  precipices,  from  the  beach.  There,  the 
largest  vessels  could  have  lain,  with  their  yards 
locked  in  the  branches  of  the  pines ;  while  here,  a 
scanty  growth  of  rushes  lifted  their  tops  above  the 
lake,  gently  curling  the  waters,  as  their  bending 
heads  slowly  waved  with  the  passing  breath  of  the 
night  air.  It  was  at  the  shallow  points,  only,  that 
the  bass  could  be  found,  or  the  net  cast  with  suc 
cess. 

Elizabeth  saw  thousands  of  these  fish  swimming 
in  shoals  along  the  shallow  and  warm  waters  of  the 
shore ;  for  the  flaring  light  of  their  torch  exposed 
all  the  mysteries  of  the  lake,  laying  them  open  to 
the  eye,  with  a  slight  variation  in  colour,  as  plainly 
as  if  the  limpid  sheet  of  the  Otsego  was  but  an- 


356  THE   PIONEERS. 

other  atmosphere.  Every  instant  she  expected  to 
see  the  impending  spear  of  Leather-stocking  dart 
ing  into  the  thronging  hosts  that  were  rushing  be 
neath  her,  where  it  would  seem  that  a  blow  could 
not  go  amiss  ;  and  where,  as  her  father  had  already 
said,  the  prize  that  would  be  obtained  was  worthy 
of  the  notice  of  any  epicure.  But  Natty  had  his 
peculiar  habits,  and,  it  would  seem,  his  peculiar 
tastes  also.  His  tall  stature,  and  his  erect  posture, 
enabled  him  to  see  much  further  than  those  who, 
from  motives  of  safety,  were  seated  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe  ;  and  he  turned  his  head  warily,  in 
every  direction,  frequently  bending  his  body  for 
ward,  and  straining  his  vision,  as  if  desirous  of  pe 
netrating  the  darkness  in  the  water,  that  surround 
ed  their  boundary  of  light.  At  length  his  anxious 
scrutiny  was  rewarded  with  success,  and,  waving 
his  spear  from  the  shore,  he  said  in  a  cautious 
tone — 

"  Send  her  outside  the  bass,  John  ;  I  see  a  laker 
there,  that  has  run  out  of  the  school.  It's  sildom 
one  finds  such  a  creater  in  the  shallow  waters, 
where  a  spear  can  touch  it." 

Mohegan  gave  a  wave  of  assent  with  his  hand, 
and  in  the  next  instant  the  canoe  was  without  the 
"  run  of  the  bass,"  and  in  water  of  nearly  twenty 
feet  in  depth.  A  few  additional  knots  were  laid 
on  the  grating,  and  the  light  from  the  fire  made  to 
reach  the  bottom.  Elizabeth  then  saw  a  fish  of 
unusual  size,  floating  above  the  small  pieces  of  logs 
and  sticks  that  were  lying  on  the  bottom.  The 
animal  was  only  distinguishable,  at  that  distance, 
by  a  slight,  but  almost  imperceptible  motion  of  its 
fins  and  tail.  The  curiosity  excited  by  this  unu 
sual  exposure  of  the  secrets  of  the  lake  seemed  to 
be  mutual  between  the  heiress  of  the  land  and  the 
lord  of  these  waters,  for  the  "  salmoif-trout"  soo» 


THE   PIONEERS.  357 

announced  his  interest  by  raising  his  head  and 
body,  for  a  few  degrees  above  a  horizontal  line, 
and  then  dropping  them  again  into  the  position  of 
nature. 

"  Whist f  whist !"  said  Natty,  in  a  low  voice,  on 
hearing  a  slight  sound  made  by  Elizabeth,  in  bend 
ing  over  the  side  of  the  canoo,  in  eager  curiosity ; 
— "  'tis  a  skeary  animal,  and  it's  a  far  stroke  for  a 
spear.  My  handle  is  but  fourteen  foot,  and  the 
creater  lies  at  a  good  eighteen  from  the  top  of  the 
water ;  but  I'll  try  him,  for  he's  a  ten-pounder." 

While  speaking,  the  Leather-stocking  was  pois 
ing  and  directing  his  weapon.  Elizabeth  saw  the 
bright,  polished  tines,  as  they  slowly  and  silently 
entered  the  water,  where  the  refraction  pointed 
them  many  degrees  from  the  true  direction  to  the 
fish  ;  and  she  thought  that  the  intended  victim  saw 
them  also,  as  he  seemed  to  increase  the  play  of  his 
tail  and  fins,  though  without  moving  his  station.  At 
the  next  instant,  the  tall  body  of  Natty  bent  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  the  handle  of  his  spear  disap 
peared  in  the  lake.  The  long,  dark  streak  of  the 
gliding  weapon,  and  the  little  bubbling  vortex, 
which  followed  its  rapid  flight,  were  easily  to  be 
seen ;  but  it  was  not  until  the  handle  shot  again 
high  into  the  air,  by  its  own  reaction,  and  its  ma 
ster,  catching  it  in  his  hand,  threw  its  tines  upper 
most,  that  Elizabeth  was  acquainted  with  the  suc 
cess  of  the  blow.  A  fish  of  great  size  was  trans 
fixed  by  the  barbed  steel,  and  was  very  soon 
shaken  from  its  impaled  situation  into  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe. 

"  That  will  do  John,"  said  Natty,  raising  his 
prize  by  one  of  his  fingers,  and  exhibiting  it  before 
the  torch ;  "  enough  is  as  good  as  a  feast ;  I  shall 
not  strike  another  blow  to-night." 


358  THE   PIONEERS. 

The  Indian  again  waved  his  hand,  and  replied 
with  the  simple  and  energetic  monosyllable  of — 

"  Good." 

Elizabeth  was  awakened  from  the  trance  cre 
ated  by  this  scene,  and  by  gazing  in  that  unusual 
manner  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  by  the  hoarse 
sounds  of  Benjamin's  voice,  and  the  dashing  of 
oars,  as  the  heavier  boat  of  the  seine-drawers  ap 
proached  the  spot  where  the  canoe  lay,  dragging 
after  its  toilsome  way  the  folds  of  the  net,  which 
was  already  spreading  on  the  water. 

"  Haul  off,  haul  off,  Master  Bumppo,"  cried 
Benjamin ;  "  your  top-light  frightens  the  fish,  who 
see  the  net  and  sheer  off  soundings.  A  fish  knows 
as  much  as  a  horse,  or,  for  that  matter,  more,  see 
ing  that  it's  brought  up  on  the  water.  Haul  off, 
Master  Bumppo,  haul  off,  I  say,  and  give  a  wide 
birth  to  the  seine." 

Mohegan  guided  their  little  canoe  to  a  point 
where  the  movements  of  the  fishermen  could  be 
observed,  without  interruption  to  the  business,  and 
then  suffered  it  to  lie  quietly  on  the  water,  looking 
like  an  imaginary  vessel  floating  in  the  air.  There 
appeared  to  be  much  ill-humour  among  the  party 
in  the  batteau,  for  the  directions  of  Benjamin  were 
not  only  frequent,  but  issued  in  a  voice  that  par 
took  largely  of  the  tones  of  dissatisfaction. 

"  Pull  larboard  oar,  will  ye,  Master  Kirby,"  cried 
the  old  seaman ;  "  Pull  larboard  best.  It  would 
puzzle  the  oldest  admiral  in  the  British  fleet  tc 
cast  this  here  net  fair,  with  a  wake  like  a  cork 
screw.  Pull  starboard,  boy,  pull  starboard  oar, 
with  a  will." 

"  Harkee,  Mister  Pump,"  said  Kirby,  ceasing 
to  row,  and  speaking  with  some  spirit ;  "  I'm  a 
man  that  likes  civil  language  and  decent  treatment , 


THE   PIONEERS.  359 

euch  as  is  right  'twixt  man  and  man.  If  you  want 
us  to  go  hoy,  say  so,  and  hoy  I'll  go,  for  the  bene 
fit  of  the  company  ;  but  I'm  not  used  to  being  or 
dered  about  like  dumb  cattle." 

"  Who's  dumb  cattle  ?"  echoed  Benjamin,  fierce 
ly,  turning  his  forbidding  face  to  the  glare  of  light 
from  the  canoe,  and  exhibiting  every  feature  teem 
ing  with  the  expression  of  his  disgust.  "  If  you 
want  to  come  aft  and  cun  the  boat  round,  come 
and  be  damned,  and  a  pretty  steerage  you'll  make 
of  it  too.  There's  but  another  heave  of  the  net  in 
the  stern-sheets,  and  we're  clear  of  the  thing. 
Give  way,  will  ye  ?  and  shoot  her  ahead  for  a  fa 
thom  or  twO}  and  if  you  catch  me  afloat  again  with 
such  a  horsemarine  as  yourself,  why  rate  me  a 
ship's  jackass,  that's  all." 

Probably  encouraged  by  the  prospect  of  a  speedy 
termination  to  his  labour,  the  wood-chopper  re 
sumed  his  oar,  and,  under  the  strong  excitement 
of  his  feelings,  gave  a  stroke  with  it,  that  not  only 
cleared  the  boat  of  the  net,  but  of  the  steward,  at 
the  same  instant,  also.  Benjamin  had  stood  on  the 
little  platform  that  held  the  seine,  in  the  stern  of 
the  boat,  and  the  violent  whirl  occasioned  by  the 
vigour  of  the  wood-chopper's  arm,  completely  de 
stroyed  his  balance.  The  position  of  the  lights 
rendered  objects  in  the  batteau  distinguishable,  both 
from  the  canoe  and  the  shore  ;  and  the  heavy  fall 
on  the  water  drew  all  eyes  to  the  steward,  as  he 
lay  struggling,  for  a  moment,  in  sight. 

A  loud  burst  of  merriment,  to  which  the  lungs 
of  Kirby  contributed  no  small  part,  broke  out  like 
a  chorus  of  laughter,  and  rung  along  the  eastern 
mountain,  in  echoes,  until  it  died  away  in  distant, 
mocking  mirth,  among  the  rocks  and  wroods.  The 
body  of  the  steward  was  seen  slowly  to  disappear, 
as  was  expected ;  but  when  the  light  waves,  which 


360  THE    PIONEERS. 

had  been  raised  by  his  fall,  began  to  sink  in  calm 
ness,  and  the  water  finally  closed  over  his  head, 
unbroken  and  still,  a  very  different  feeling  pei- 
vaded  the  spectators. 

"  How  fare  you,  Benjamin  ?"  shouted  Richard 
from  the  shore. 

"  The  dumb  devil  can't  swim  a  stroke !"  ex 
claimed  Kirby,  rising,  and  beginning  to  throw  aside 
his  clothes. 

"  Paddle  up,  Mohegan,"  cried  young  Edwards, 
"  where  the  light  will  show  us  how  he  lies,  and 
let  me  dive  for  the  body." 

"  Oh !  save  him !  for  God's  sake,  save  him  !" 
exclaimed  Elizabeth,  bowing  her  head  on  the  side 
of  the  canoe  in  horror. 

A  powerful  and  dexterous  sweep  of  Mohegan's 
paddle  sent  the  canoe  directly  over  the  spot 
where  the  steward  had  fallen,  and  a  loud  shout 
from  the  Leather-stocking  announced  that  he  saw 
the  body. 

"  Then  steady  the  boat  while  I  dive,"  again 
cried  Edwards. 

"  Gently,  lad,  gently,"  said  Natty  ;  "  I'll  spear 
the  creater  up  in  half  the  time,  and  no  risk  to 
any  body." 

The  form  of  Benjamin  was  lying,  about  half  wTay 
to  the  bottom,  grasping  with  either  hand  the  bot 
toms  of  some  broken  rushes,  by  whose  strength  it 
was  maintained  in  that  position.  The  blood  of 
Elizabeth  curdled  to  her  heart,  as  she  saw  the 
figure  of  a  fellow  creature  thus  extended  under  an 
immense  sheet  of  water,  apparently  in  motion,  by 
the  undulations  of  the  dying  waves,  with  its  face 
and  hands,  viewed  by  that  light,  and  through  the 
medium  of  the  fluid,  already  coloured  with  livid 
hues  like  death. 

At  the  same  instant,  she  saw  the  shining  tines 


THE    PIONEERS.  361 

of  Natty's  spear  approaching  the  motionless  head 
of  the  sufferer,  and  entwining  themselves,  rapidly 
and  dexterously,  in  the  hairs  of  his  queue  and  the 
cape  of  his  coat.  The  body  was  now  raised  slowly, 
looking  ghastly  and  grim,  as  its  features  turned  up 
ward  to  the  light,  and  approached  the  surface. 
The  arrival  of  the  nostrils  of  Benjamin  into  their 
own  atmosphere,  was  announced  by  a  breathing 
that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  full  grown  por 
poise.  For  a  moment.  Natty  held  the  steward 
suspended,  with  his  head  just  above  the  water, 
while  his  eyes  slowly  opened,  and  stared  about 
him,  as  if  he  thought  that  he  had  reached  a  new 
and  unexplored  country. 

As  all  the  parties  acted  and  spoke  together, 
much  less  time  was  consumed  in  the  occurrence 
of  these  events,  than  in  their  narration.  To  bring 
the  batteau  to  the  end  of  the  spear,  and  to  raise 
the  form  of  Benjamin  from  its  liquid  element  into 
the  boat,  and  for  the  whole  party  to  gain  the  shore, 
and  land,  required  but  a  minute.  Kirby,  aided  by 
Richard,  whose  anxiety  induced  him  to  run  into 
the  water  to  meet  his  favourite  assistant,  carried 
the  motionless  steward  up  the  bank,  and  seated 
him  before  the  fire,  where  he  was  supported,  while 
the  Sheriff  proceeded  to  order  the  most  approved 
measures  then  in  use,  for  the  resuscitation  of  the 
drowned. 

"  Run,  Billy,"  he  cried, "  to  the  village,  and  bring 
up  the  rum-hogshead  that  lies  before  the  door,  in 
which  I  am  making  vinegar  in  cold  weather,  and 
be  quick,  boy,  don't  stay  to  empty  the  vinegar ; 
and  stop  at  Mr.  Le  Quoi's,  and  buy  a  paper  of  to 
bacco  and  half-a-dozen  pipes  ;  and  ask  Remarkable 
for  some  salt,  and  one  of  her  flannel  petticoats ; 
and  ask  Dr.  Todd  to  send  his  lancet,  and  to  come 

himself;  and ha  !  'duke,  what  are  you  about  ? 

31 


362  THE    PIONEERS. 

would  you  strangle  a  man  who  is  full  of  water,  bj 
giving  him  rum  !  Help  me  to  open  this  hand,  that  I 
may  pat  it." 

All  this  time  Benjamin  sat,  with  his  muscles 
fixed,  his  mouth  shut,  and  his  hands  clenching  the 
rushes,  which  he  had  seized  in  the  confusion  of  the 
moment,  and  which,  as  he  held  fast,  like  a  true 
seaman,  had  been  the  means  of  preventing  his  body 
from  rising  again  to  the  surface.  His  eyes,  how 
ever,  were  open,  and  stared  wildly  on  the  group 
about  the  fire,  while  his  lungs  were  playing  like  a 
blacksmith's  bellows,  as  if  to  compensate  them 
selves  for  the  minute  of  inaction  to  which  they  had 
been  subjected.  As  he  kept  his  lips  compressed, 
with  a  most  inveterate  determination,  the  air  was 
compelled  to  pass  through  his  nostrils,  and  he  ra 
ther  snorted  than  breathed,  and  in  such  a  manner, 
that  nothing  but  the  excessive  agitation  of  the 
Sheriff  could  at  all  justify  his  precipitous  orders. 

The  bottle,  applied  to  the  steward's  lips  by  Mar- 
maduke,  acted  like  a  charm.  His  mouth  opened 
instinctively  ;  his  hands  dropped  the  rushes,  and 
seized  the  black  glass  ;  his  eyes  raised  from  their 
horizontal  stare,  to  the  heavens ;  and  the  whole 
man  was  lost,  for  a  moment,  in  a  new  sensation. 
Unhappily  for  the  propensity  of  the  steward,  breath 
was  as  necessary  after  one  of  these  draughts,  as  af 
ter  his  submersion,  and  the  time  at  length  arrived 
when  he  was  compelled  to  let  go  of  the  bottle. 

"  Why,  Benjamin  !"  roared  the  Sheriff;  "  you 
amaze  me !  for  a  man  of  your  experience  in  drown- 
ings  to  act  so  foolishly  !  j  ist  now,  you  were  half 
full  of  water,  and  now  you  are" 

"  Full  of  grog,"  interrupted  the  steward,  his 
features  settling  down,  with  amazing  flexibility, 
into  their  natural  economy.  "  But,  d'ye  see; 
Squire,  I  kept  my  hatches  close,  and  it  is  but  little 


THE   PIONEERS.  363 

water  that  ever  gets  into  my  scuttle-butt.  Harkee, 
Master  Kirby !  I've  followed  the  salt  water  for 
the  better  part  of  a  man's  life,  and  have  seen  some 
navigation  on  the  fresh  ;  but  this  here  matter  I  will 
say  in  your  favour,  and  that  is,  that  you're  the 
awk'ardest  green'un  that  ever  straddled  a  boat's 
thwart.  Them  that  likes  you  for  a  ship-mate, 
may  sail  with  you  and  no  thanks  ;  but  dam'me  if  I 
even  walk  on  the  lake,  shore  in  your  company 
For  why  ?  you'd  as  lief  drown  a  man  as  one  ot 
them  there  fish  ;  not  to  throw  a  Christian  areature 
so  much  as  a  rope's  end,  when  he  was  adrift,  and 
no  life-buoy  in  sight ! — Natty  Bumppo,  give  us 
your  fist.  There's  them  that  says  you're  an  In 
dian,  and  a  scalper,  but  you've  sarved  me  a  good 
turn,  and  you  may  set  me  down  for  a  friend  ;  thof 
it  would  have  been  more  ship-shape  to  lower  the 
bight  of  a  rope,  or  running  bow  line,  below  me, 
than  to  seize  an  old  seaman  by  his  head-lanyard  ; 
but  I  suppose  you  are  used  to  taking  men  by  the 
hair,  and  seeing  you  did  me  good  instead  of  harm 
thereby,  why,  it's  the  same  thing,  d'ye  see." 

Marmaduke  prevented  any  reply,  and  assuming 
the  direction  of  matters,  with  a  dignity  and  discre 
tion  that  at  once  silenced  all  opposition  from  his 
cousin,  Benjamin  was  despatched  to  the  village  by 
land,  and  the  net  was  hauled  to  shore  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  fish,  for  once,  escaped  its  meshes 
with  impunity. 

The  division  of  the  spoils  was  made  in  the  ordi 
nary  manner,  by  placing  one  of  the  party  with  his 
back  to  the  game,  who  declared  the  owner  of  each 
pile.  Billy  Kirby  stretched  his  large  frame  on  the 
grass,  by  the  side  of  the  fire,  as  a  sentinel  until 
morning,  over  the  net  and  the  fish ;  and  the  re 
mainder  of  the  party  embarked  in  the  oatteau,  to 
return  to  the  village. 


364  THE    PIONEERS. 

The  wood-chopper  was  seen  broiling  his  suppe- 
on  the  coals,  as  they  lost  sight  of  the  fire ;  and 
when  the  boat  approached  the  shore,  the  torch  of 
Mohegan's  canoe  was  shining  again  under  the 
gloom  of  the  eastern  mountain.  Its  motion  ceased 
suddenly ;  a  scattering  of  brands  was  exhibited  in 
the  air,  and  then  all  remained  dark  as  the  conjunc 
tion  of  night,  forests,  and  mountains,  could  rendei 
the  scene. 

The  thoughts  of  the  heiress  wandered  from  the 
youth,  who  was  holding  a  canopy  of  shawls  over 
herself  and  Louisa,  to  the  hunter  and  the  Indian 
warrior ;  and  she  felt  an  awakening  curiosity  to 
visit  a  hut,  where  men  of  such  different  habits  and 
temperament  were  drawn  together,  as  if  by  one 
common  impulse. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 


Ceaso  all  this  parlance  about  bills  and  dales ; 
None  listen  to  thy  scenes  of  boyish  frolic, 
Fond  dotard !  with  such  tickled  ears  as  thou  dost ; 
€omo  1  to  thy  tale, 

Duo 


MR.  JONES  arose,  on  the  following  morning,  with 
the  sun,  and  ordering  his  own  and  Marmaduke's 
steeds  to  be  saddled,  he  proceeded,  with  a  coun 
tenance  that  was  big  with  some  business  of  unusual 
moment,  to  the  apartment  of  the  Judge.  The  dooi 
was  unfastened,  and  Richard  entered,  with  the 
freedom  that  characterized  not  only  the  inter 
course  between  the  cousins  but  the  ordinary  man 
ners  of  the  Sheriff. 

"  Well,  'duke,  to  horse,"  he  cried,  "  and  I  will 
explain  to  you  my  meaning  in  the  allusions  I  made 
last  night.  David  says,  in  the  Psalms — no,  it  was 
Solomon,  but  it  was  all  in  the  family — Solomon 
said,  there  was  a  time  for  all  things ;  and  in  my 
humble  opinion,  a  fishing  party  is  not  the  moment 
for  discussing  important  subjects — Ha !  why,  what 
the  devil  ails  you,  Marmaduke  ?  an't  you  well ? 
let  me  feel  your  pulse:  my  grandfather,  you 
know" — 

"  Quite  well  in  the  body,  Richard,"  interrupted 
the  Judge,  repulsing  his  cousin,  who  was  about  to 
assume  the  functions  that  properly  belonged  to  Dr. 
3]  * 


366  THE    PIONEERS. 

Todd ;  "  but  ill  at  heart.  I  received  letters  by  the 
post  of  last  night,  after  we  returned  from  the  point, 
and  this  among  the  number." 

The  Sheriff  took  the  letter,  but  without  turning 
his  eyes  on  the  writing,  for  he  was  examining  the 
appearance  of  the  other  with  astonishment.  From 
the  face  of  his  cousin,  the  gaze  of  Richard  wander 
ed  to  the  table,  which  was  covered  with  letters, 
packets,  and  newspapers ;  then  to  the  apartment, 
and  all  that  it  contained.  On  the  bed  there  was 
the  impression  that  had  been  made  by  a  human 
form,  but  the  coverings  were  unmoved,  and  every 
thing  indicated  that  the  occupant  of  the  room  had 
passed  a  sleepless  night.  The  candles  had  burned 
to  the  sockets,  and  had  evidently  extinguished 
themselves  in  their  own  fragments.  Marmaduke 
had  drawn  his  curtains,  and  opened  both  the  shut 
ters  and  the  sashes,  to  admit  the  balmy  air  of  a 
spring  morning  ;  but  his  pale  cheek,  his  quivering 
lip,  and  his  sunken  eye,  presented,  altogether,  so 
very  different  an  appearance  from  the  usual  calm, 
manly,  and  cheerful  aspect  of  the  Judge,  that  the 
Sheriff  grew  each  moment  more  and  more  bewil 
dered  with  his  astonishment.  At  length  Richard 
found  time  to  cast  his  eyes  on  the  direction  of  the 
letter,  which  he  still  held  unopened,  crumbling  it 
in  his  hand. 

"  What !  a  ship-letter  !"  he  exclaimed :  "  and 
from  England  !  ha !  'duke,  here  must  be  news  of 
importance  indeed  !" 

"  Read  it,"  said  Marmaduke,  waving  his  hand 
for  silence,  and  pacing  the  floor  in  excessive  agi 
tation. 

Richard,  who  commonly  thought  aloud,  was  un 
able  to  read  a  letter  without  suffering  part  of  its 
contents  to  escape  him  in  audible  sounds.  So  much 
of  the  epistle  as  was  divulged  in  that  manner,  we 


THE    PIONEERS.  367 

lay  before  the  reader,  accompanied  by  the 
passing  remarks  of  the  Sheriff : — 

"  «  London,  February  12th,  1793.'  What  a 
devil  of  a  passage  she  had  !  but  the  wind  has  been 
north-west  for  six  weeks,  until  within  the  last  fort 
night. 

'  Sir,  your  favours  of  August  10th,  September 
23d,  and  of  December  1  st,  were  received  in  due  sea 
son,  and  the  first  answered  by  return  of  packet. 
Since  the  receipt  of  the  last,  P — Here  a  long  pas 
sage  was  rendered  indistinct,  by  a  most  significant 
kind  of  humming  noise  made  by  the  Sheriff.  '  I 
grieve  to  say  that' — hum,  hum,  bad  enough  to  be 
sure — c  but  trust  that  a  merciful  Providence  has 
seen  fit' — hum,  hum,  hum ;  seems  to  be  a  good, 
pious  sort  of  a  man,  'duke ;  belongs  to  the  esta 
blished  church,  I  dare  say  ;  hum,  hum — c  vessel 
sailed  from  Falmouth  on  or  about  the  1st  Septem 
ber  of  last  year,  and' — hum,  hum,  hum.  '  If  any 
thing  should  transpire  on  this  afflicting  subject, 
shall  not  fail' — hum,  hum  ;  really  a  good- hearted 
man,  for  a  lawyer, — '  but  can  communicate  nothing 
further  at  present' — Hum,  hum.  c  The  national 
convention' — hum,  hum — c  unfortunate  Louis' — 
hum,  hum — c  example  of  your  Washington' — a  very 
sensible  man,  I  declare,  and  none  of  your  crazy 
democrats.  Hum,  hum — c  our  gallant  navy' — hum, 
hum — c  under  our  most  excellent  monarch' — ay,  a 
good  man  enough,  that  king  George,  but  bad  ad 
visers  ;  hum,  hum — c  I  beg  to  conclude  with  as 
surances  of  my  perfect  respect' — hum,  hum — 4  AN 
DREW  HOLT.'  Andrew  Holt — a  very  sensible,  feel 
ing  man,  this  Mr.  Andrew  Holt — but  the  writer  of 
evil  tidings.  What  will  you  do  next,  cousin  Mar- 
maduke  ?" 

"  What  can  I  do,  Richard,  but  trust  to  time  and 
the  will  of  Heaven  ?  Here  is  another  letter,  from 


368  THE    PIONEERS. 

Connecticut,  but  it  only  repeats  the  substance  of 
the  last.  There  is  but  one  consoling  reflection  to 
be  gathered  from  the  English  news,  which  is,  that 
my  last  letter  was  received  by  him  before  the  ship 
sailed." 

"  This  is  bad  enough  indeed  !  'duke,  bad  enough 
indeed  !  and  away  go  all  my  plans  of  putting  wings 
to  the  house,  to  the  devil.  I  had  made  my  ar 
rangements  for  a  ride,  to  introduce  you  to  some 
thing  of  a  very  important  nature.  You  know  how 
much  you  think  of  mines" — 

"  Talk  not  of  mines,"  interrupted  the  Judge  ; 
"  there  is  a  sacred  duty  to  be  performed,  and  that 
without  delay.  I  must  devote  this  day  to  writing ; 
and  thou  must  be  my  assistant,  Richard ;  it  will  not 
do  to  employ  Oliver  in  a  matter  of  such  secrecy 
and  interest." 

"  No,  no,  'duke,"  cried  the  Sheriff,  squeezing  his 
hand  ;  "  I  am  your  man,  just  now ;  we  are  sisters* 
children,  and  blood,  after  all,  is  the  best  cement  to 
make  friendship  stick  together.  Well,  well,  there 
is  no  hurry  about  the  silver  mine,  just  now ;  an 
other  time  will  do  as  well.  We  shall  want  Dirky 
Van,  I  suppose  ?" 

Marmaduke  assented  to  this  indirect  question, 
and  the  sheriff  relinquished  all  his  intentions  on  the 
subject  of  his  ride,  and  repairing  to  the  breakfast 
parlour,  he  despatched  a  messenger  to  require  the 
immediate  presence  of  Dirck  Van  der  School. 

The  village  of  Templeton,  at  that  time,  support 
ed  but  two  lawyers,  one  of  whom  was  introduced 
to  our  readers  in  the  bar-room  of  the  "  Bold  Dra 
goon,"  and  the  other  was  the  gentleman  of  whom 
Richard  spoke,  by  the  friendly  yet  familiar  appella 
tion  of  Dirck,  or  Dirky  Van.  Great  good-nature,  a 
very  tolerable  share  of  skill  in  his  profession,  and, 
considering  the  circumstances,  no  contemptible  de- 


THE    PIONEERS.  369 

gree  of  honesty,  were  the  principal  ingredients  to  be 
found  in  the  character  of  this  man,  who  was  known 
to  the  settlers  as  Squire  Van  der  School,  and  some 
times  by  the  flattering,  though  anomalous  title  of 
the  "  Dutch,"  or  "  honest  lawyer."  We  would 
not  wish  to  mislead  our  readers  in  their  concep 
tions  of  any  of  our  characters,  and  we  therefore 
feel  it  necessary  to  add,  that  the  adjective,  in  the 
preceding  agnomen  of  Mr.  Van  der  School,  was 
used  in  direct  reference  to  its  substantive.  Our 
orthodox  friends  need  not  be  told,  that  all  merit  in 
this  world  is  comparative  ;  and,  once  for  all,  we 
desire  to  say,  that  where  any  thing  which  involves 
qualities  or  character  is  asserted,  we  must  be  un 
derstood  to  mean,  "  under  the  circumstances." 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day,  the  Judge  was 
closeted  with  his  cousin  and  his  lawyer ;  and  no 
one  else  was  admitted  to  his  apartment,  excepting 
his  daughter.  The  deep  distress,  that  so  evidently 
afflicted  Marmaduke,  was,  in  some  measure,  com 
municated  to  Elizabeth  also  ;  for  a  look  of  dejec 
tion  shaded  her  intelligent  features,  and  the  buoy 
ancy  of  her  animated  spirits  was  sensibly  softened. 
Once  on  that  day,  young  Edwards,  who  was  a 
wondering  and  observant  spectator  of  the  sudden 
alteration  produced  in  the  heads  of  the  family,  de 
tected  a  tear  stealing  over  the  cheek  of  the  heir 
ess,  and  suffusing  her  bright  eyes  with  a  softness 
that  did  not  always  belong  to  their  proud  and 
laughing  expression. 

"  Have  any  evil  tidings  been  received,  Miss 
Temple  ?"  he  inquired,  with  an  interest  and  voice 
that  caused  Louisa  Grant  to  raise  her  head  from 
her  needlework,  with  a  quickness  at  which  she 
instantly  blushed  herself.  "  I  would  offer  my  ser 
vices  to  your  father,  if,  as  I  suspect,  he  needs  an 


370  THE   PIONEERS. 

agent  in  some  distant  place,  and  I  thought  it  would 
give  you  relief." 

"  We  have  certainly  heard  had  news,"  returned 
Elizabeth,  "  and  it  may  be  necessary  that  my  fa 
ther  should  leave  his  home  for  a  short  period ;  un- 
less  I  can  persuade  him  to  trust  my  cousin  Richard 
with  the  business,  wLose  absence  from  the  county, 
just  at  this  time,  too,  might  be  inexpedient." 

The  youth  paused  a  moment,  and  the  blood  ga 
thered  slowly  to  his  temples,  as  he  continued — 

"  If  it  be  of  a  nature  that  I  could  execute — " 

"  It  is  such  as  can  only  be  confided  to  one  we 
know — one  of  ourselves." 

"  Surely,  you  know  me,  Miss  Temple  !"  he 
added,  with  a  warmth  that  he  seldom  exhibited, 
but  which  did  sometimes  escape  him,  in  the  mo 
ments  of  their  frank  communications — "  Have  I 
lived  five  months  under  your  roof,  and  yet  a 
stranger  ?" 

Elizabeth  was  engaged  with  her  needle  also, 
and  she  bent  her  head  to  one  side,  affecting  to  ar 
range  her  muslin ;  but  her  hand  shook,  her  colour 
heightened,  and  her  eyes  lost  their  moisture  in  an 
expression  of  ungovernable  interest,  as  she  said — 

"  How  much  do  we  know  of  you,  Mr.  Ed 
wards  ?" 

"  How  much  !"  echoed  the  youth,  gazing  from 
the  speaker  to  the  mild  countenance  of  Louisa,  that 
was  also  illuminated  with  awakened  curiosity ; 
"  how  much  !  have  I  been  so  long  an  inmate  with 
you,  and  not  known  ?" 

The  head  of  Elizabeth  turned  slowly  from  its 
affected  position,  and  the  look  of  confusion  that 
had  blended  so  strongly  with  an  expression  of  in 
terest  changed  to  a  smile  of  archness,  as  she  an 
swered — 


THE    PIONEERS  371 

"  We  know  you,  sir,  indeed  :  you  are  called  Mr. 
Oliver  Edwards.  I  understand  that  you  have  in 
formed  my  friend,  Miss  Grant,  that  you  are  a  na 
tive—" 

"  Elizabeth  !"  exclaimed  Louisa,  blushing  to 
her  eyes,  and  trembling  like  an  aspen  ;  "  you  mis 
understood  me,  dear  Miss  Temple ;  I — I — it  was 
only  conjecture.  Besides,  if  Mr.  Edwards  is  re 
lated  to  the  natives,  why  should  we  reproach  him  ? 
In  wThat  are  we  better  ?  at  least  I,  who  am  the 
child  of  a  poor  and  unsettled  clergyman  ?" 

Elizabeth  shook  her  head,  doubtingly,  and  even 
laughed,  but  made  no  reply,  until,  observing  the 
melancholy  which  pervaded  the  countenance  of 
her  companion,  who  was  thinking  of  the  poverty 
and  labours  of  her  father,  she  continued — 

"  Nay,  Louisa,  your  humility  carries  you  too 
far.  The  daughter  of  a  minister  of  the  church  can 
have  no  superiors.  Neither  I  nor  Mr.  Edwards  is 
quite  your  equal,  unless,"  she  added,  again  smiling, 
"  he  is  in  secret  a  king." 

"  A  faithful  servant  of  the  King  of  kings,  Miss 
Temple,  is  inferior  to  none  on  earth,"  said  Loui 
sa  ;  "  but  his  honours  are  his  own  ;  I  am  only  the 
child  of  a  poor  and  friendless  man,  and  can  claim 
no  other  distinction.  Why,  then,  should  I  feel 
myself  elevated  above  Mr.  Edwards,  because — be 
cause — perhaps  he  is  only  very,  very  distantly  re 
lated  to  John  Mohegan  ?" 

Glances  of  a  very  comprehensive  meaning  were 
exchanged  between  the  heiress  and  the  young  man, 
as  Louisa  betrayed,  while  vindicating  his  lineage, 
the  reluctance  with  which  she  admitted  his  alli 
ance  to  the  old  warrior;  but  not  even  a  smile  at 
the  simplicity  of  their  companion  was  indulged  by 
either. 

"  On  reflection,  I  must  acknowledge  that  my 


372 


THE    PIONEERS. 


situation  here  is  somewhat  equivocal,"  said  Ed 
wards,  "  though  I  may  be  said  to  have  purchased 
it  with  my  blood." 

"  The  blood,  too,  of  one  of  the  native  lords  of 
the  soil !"  cried  Elizabeth,  whose  melancholy  had 
vanished  in  the  excitement  of  their  dialogue. 

u  Do  I  bear  the  marks  of  my  lineage  so  very 
plainly  impressed  on  my  appearance  ?"  asked  the 
youth,  with  a  little  pique  in  his  manner.  "  I  am 
dark,  but  not  very  red — not  more  so  than  com 
mon  ?" 

"  Rather  more  so,  just  now,"  said  the  heiress. 

"  I  am  sure,  Miss  Temple,"  cried  Louisa,  "  you 
cannot  have  taken  much  notice  of  Mr.  Edwards. 
His  eyes  are  not  so  black  as  Mohegan's,  or  even 
your  own,  nor  is  his  hair  !" 

"  Very  possibly,  then,  I  can  lay  claim  to  the 
same  descent.  It  would  be  a  great  relief  to  my 
mind  to  think  so,  for  I  own  that  I  grieve  when  I 
see  old  Mohegan  walking  about  these  lands,  like 
the  ghost  of  one  of  their  ancient  possessors,  and 
feel  how  small  is  my  right  to  possess  them." 

"  Do  you  ?"  cried  the  youth,  with  a  vehemence 
that  startled  the  ladies. 

"  I  do,  indeed,"  returned  Elizabeth,  after  suf 
fering  a  moment  to  pass  in  her  surprise ;  "  but 
what  can  I  do  ?  what  can  my  father  do  ?  Should 
we  offer  the  old  man  a  home  and  a  maintenance, 
his  habits  would  compel  him  to  refuse  us.  Neither, 
were  we  so  silly  as  to  wish  such  a  thing,  could  we 
convert  these  clearings  and  farms,  again,  into  hunt 
ing-grounds,  as  the  Leather-stocking  would  wish 
to  see  them." 

"  You  speak  the  truth,  Miss  Temple,"  said  Ed 
wards.  "  What  can  you  do,  indeed  !  But  there 
is  one  thing  that  I  am  certain  you  can  and  will  do, 
when  you  become  the  mistress  of  these  beautiful 


THE    PIONEERS.  373 

valleys — use  your  wealth  with  indulgence  to  the 
poor  and  charity  to  the  needy  ; — indeed,  you  can 
do  no  more." 

"  And  that  will  be  doing  a  good  deal,"  said 
Louisa,  smiling  in  her  turn.  "  But  there  will, 
doubtless,  be  one  to  take  the  direction  of  such 
things  from  her  hands." 

"  I  am  not  about  to  disclaim  matrimony,"  cried 
the  heiress,  "  like  a  silly  girl,  who  dreams  of  no 
thing  else  from  morning  till  night ;  but  I  am  a  nun, 
here,  without  the  vow  of  celibacy.  Where  should 
i  find  a  husband  in  these  forests  ?" 

"  There  is  none,  Miss  Temple,"  said  Edwards, 
quickly,  "  there  is  none  who  has  a  right  to  aspire 
to  you,  and  I  know  that  you  will  assert  the  dignity 
of  your  sex,  and  wait  to  be  sought  by  your  equal ; 
or  die,  as  you  live,  loved,  respected,  and  admired, 
by  all  who  know  you." 

The  young  man  seemed  to  think  that  he  had 
said  all  that  was  required  by  gallantry,  for  he  arose, 
and  taking  his  hat,  hurried  from  the  apartment. 
Perhaps  Louisa  thought  that  he  had  said  more  than 
was  necessary,  for  she  sighed,  with  an  aspiration 
so  low  that  it.  was  scarcely  audible  to  heiself,  and 
bent  her  head  over  her  work  again.  And  it  is 
possible  that  Miss  Temple  wished  to  hear  more, 
for  her  eyes  continued  fixed,  for  a  minute,  on  the 
door  through  which  the  youth  had  passed,  then 
glanced  quickly  towards  her  companion,  when  the 
long  silence  that  succeeded  manifested  how  much 
zest  may  be  given  to  the  conversation  of  two  maid 
ens  under  eighteen,  by  the  presence  of  a  youth  of 
three  and  twenty. 

The  first  person  encountered  by  Mr.  Edwards, 

as  he  rather  rushed  than  walked  from  the  house, 

was  the  little,  square-built  lawyer,  with  a  large 

bundle  of  papers  ander  his  arm,  a  pair  of  green 

32 


374  THE   PIONEERS. 

spectacles  on  his  nose,  with  glasses  at  the  sides,  as 
if  to  multiply  his  power  of  detecting  frauds,  by  ad 
ditional  organs  oi  vision. 

Mr.  Van  der  School  was  a  well-educated  man, 
but  of  a  slow  comprehension,  who  had  imbibed  a 
wariness  in  his  speeches  and  actions,  from  having 
suffered  by  his  collisions  with  his  more  mercurial 
and  apt  brethren  who  had  laid  the  foundations  of 
their  practice  in  the  eastern  courts,  and  who  had 
sucked  in  shrewdness  with  their  mother's  milk. 
The  caution  of  this  gentleman  was  exhibited  in  his 
actions,  by  the  utmost  method  and  punctuality, 
tinctured  with  a  good  deal  of  timidity  ;  and  in  his 
speeches,  by  a  parenthetical  style,  that  frequently 
left  to  his  auditors  a  most  delightful  research  aftei 
his  meaning. 

"A  good  morning  to  you,  Mr.  Van  der  School,'' 
said  Edwards ;  "  it  seems  to  be  a  busy  day  with 
us  at  the  Mansion-house." 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Edwards,  (if  that  is  your 
name,  (for,  being  a  stranger,  we  have  no  other  evi 
dence  of  the  fact  than  your  own  testimony,)  as  I 
understand  you  have  given  it  to  Judge  Temple,) 
good  morning,  sir.  It  is,  apparently,  a  busy  day, 
(but  a  man  of  your  discretion  need  not  be  told, 
(having,  doubtless,  discovered  it  of  your  own  ac 
cord,)  that  appearances  are  often  deceitful,)  up  at 
the  Mansion-house." 

"  Have  you  papers  of  consequence,  that  will  re 
quire  copying  ?  can  I  be  of  assistance  to  you  in  any 
way  ?" 

"  There  are  papers,  (as  doubtless,  you  see  (for 
your  eyes  are  young)  by  the  outsides )  that  require 
copying." 

"  Well,  then  I  will  accompany  you  to  your  office, 
and  receive  such  as  are  most  needed,  and  by  night 
I  ihall  have  them  done,  if  there  be  much  haste." 


THE   PIONEERS.  375 

"  I  shall  be  always  glad  to  see  you,  sir,  at  my 
office,  (as  in  duty  bound,  (not  that  it  is  obligatory 
to  receive  any  man  within  your  dwelling,  (unless 
so  inclined,)  which  is  a  castle,)  according  to  the 
forms  of  politeness, )  or  at  any  other  place ;  but  the 
papers  are  most  strictly  confidential,  (and  as  such, 
cannot  be  read  by  any  one,)  unless  so  directed 
(by  Judge  Temple's  solemn  injunctions )  and  are  in 
visible  to  all  eyes ;  excepting  those  whose  duties 
(I  mean  assumed  duties)  require  it  of  them." 

"  Well,  sir,  as  I  perceive  that  I  can  be  of  no  ser 
vice,  I  wish  you  another  good  morning ;  but  beg 
you  will  remember,  that  I  am  quite  idle,  just  now, 
and  I  wish  you  would  intimate  as  much  to  Judge 
Temple,  and  make  him  a  tender  of  my  services,  in 
any  part  of  the  world  ;  unless — unless — it  be  far 
from  Templeton." 

"  I  will  make  the  communication,  sir,  in  your 
name,  (with  your  own  qualifications,)  as  your 
agent.  Good  morning,  sir. — But  stay  proceedings, 
Mr.  Edwards,  (so  called,)  for  a  moment.  Do  you 
wish  me  to  state  the  offer  of  travelling,  as  a  final 
contract,  (for  which  consideration  has  been  re 
ceived,  at  former  dates,  (by  sums  advanced,) 
which  would  be  binding, )  or  as  a  tender  of  services, 
for  which  compensation  is  to  be  paid  ( according  to 
future  agreement  between  the  parties)  on  per 
formance  of  the  conditions  ?" 

"Any  way — any  way,"  said  Edwards — "  he 
seems  in  distress,  and  I  would  assist  him." 

ci  The  motive  is  good,  sir,  ( according  to  appear 
ances,  (which  are  often  deceitful,)  on  first  impres 
sions,  )  and  does  you  honour.  I  will  mention  your 
wish,  young  gentleman,  (as  you  now  seem,)  and 
will  not  fail  to  communicate  the  answer  by  five 
o'clock,  P.  M.  of  this  present  day,  (God  willing,) 
if  you  give  me  an-  opportunity  so  to  do." 


376  THE    PIONEERS. 

The  ambiguous  nature  of  the  situation  and  cha 
racter  of  Mr.  Edwards  had  rendered  him  an  ob 
ject  of  peculiar  suspicion  to  the  lawyer,  and  the 
youth  was  consequently  too  much  accustomed  to 
similar  equivocal  and  guarded  speeches,  to  fee) 
any  unusual  disgust  at  the  present  dialogue.  He 
saw,  at  once,  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  prac 
titioner  to  conceal  the  nature  of  his  business,  even 
from  the  private  secretary  of  Judge  Temple  ;  and 
he  knew  too  well  the  difficulty  of  comprehending 
the  meaning  of  Mr.  Van  der  School,  wrhen  the  gen 
tleman  most  wished  to  be  luminous  in  his  discourse, 
not  to  abandon  all  thoughts  of  a  discovery,  when 
he  perceived  that  the  attorney  was  endeavouring 
to  avoid  any  thing  like  an  approach  to  a  cross  exa 
mination.  They  parted  at  the  gate,  the  lawyer 
walking,  with  an  important  and  hurried  air,  to 
wards  his  office,  keeping  his  right  hand  firmly 
clenched  on  the  bundle  of  papers  that  his  left  arm 
pressed  to  his  side  with  a  kind  of  convulsive  mo 
tion. 

It  must  have  been  obvious  to  all  our  readers, 
that  the  youth  entertained  an  unusual  and  deeply 
seated  prejudice  against  the  character  of  the  Judge ; 
but,  owing  to  some  counteracting  cause,  his  sensa 
tions  were  now  those  of  powerful  interest  in  the 
state  of  his  patron's  present  feelings,  and  in  the 
cause  of  his  secret  uneasiness. 

He  remained  gazing  after  the  lawyer,  until  the 
door  closed  on  both  the  bearer  and  the  mysterious 
packet,  when  he  returned  slowly  to  the  dwelling, 
and  endeavoured  to  forget  his  curiosity,  in  the 
usual  avocations  of  his  office. 

When  the  Judge  made  his  reappearance  in  the 
circles  of  his  family,  his  cheerfulness  was  temper 
ed  by  a  shade  of  melancholy,  that  lingered  for  ma 
ny  days  around  his  manly  brow ;  -but  the  magical 


THE    PIONEERS.  377 

progression  of  the  season  aroused  him  from  his 
temporary  apathy,  and  his  smiles  returned  with 
the  animated  looks  of  summer. 

The  heats  of  the  days,  and  the  frequent  occur 
rence  of  balmy  showers,  had  completed,  in  an  in 
credibly  short  period,  the  growth  of  plants,  which 
the  lingering  spring  had  so  long  retarded  in  the 
germ ;  and  the  woods  presented  every  shade  of 
green  that  the  American  forests  know.  The  stumps 
in  the  cleared  fields  were  already  hid  beneath  the 
tops  of  the  stalks  of  rich  wheat  that  were  waving 
with  every  breath  of  the  summer  air,  shining,  and 
changing  their  hues,  like  velvet. 

During  the  continuance  of  his  cousin's  dejection, 
Mr.  Jones  forbore,  with  much  consideration,  to 
press  on  his  attention  a  business  that  each  hour 
was  drawing  nearer  to  the  heart  of  the  Sheriff,  and 
which,  if  any  opinion  could  be  formed  by  his  fre 
quent  private  conferences  with  the  man,  who  was 
introduced  in  these  pages,  by  the  name  of  Jotham,  at 
the  bar-room  of  the  Bold  Dragoon,  was  becoming 
also  of  great  importance. 

At  length  the  Sheriff  ventured  to  allude  again  to 
the  subject,  and  one  evening,  in  the  beginning  of 
July,  Marmaduke  made  him  a  promise  of  devoting 
the  following  day  to  the  desired  excursion. 
32* 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


«  Speak  on,  my  dearest  father  I 
Thy  words  are  like  the  breezes  of  the  west" 

Milmait 


IT  was  a  mild  and  soft  morning,  when  Manna- 
duke  and  Richard  mounted  their  horses,  to  pro 
ceed  on  the  expedition  that  had  so  long  been  upper 
most  in  the  thoughts  of  the  latter ;  and  Elizabeth 
and  Louisa  appeared  at  the  same  instant  in  the 
hall,  attired  for  an  excursion  on  foot. 

The  head  of  Miss  Grant  was  covered  by  a  neat 
little  hat  of  green  silk,  and  her  modest  eyes  peered 
from  under  its  shade,  with  the  soft  languor  that 
characterized  her  whole  appearance ;  but  Miss 
Temple  trod  her  father's  wide  apartments  with  the 
step  of  their  mistress,  holding  in  her  hand,  dan 
gling  by  one  of  its  ribands,  the  gipsy  that  was  to 
conceal  the  glossy  locks  that  curled  around  her 
polished  forehead,  in  rich  profusion. 

"  What,  are  you  for  a  walk,  Bess  !"  cried  the 
Judge,  suspending  his  movements  for  a  moment,  to 
smile,  with  a  father's  fondness,  at  the  display  of 
womanly  grace  and  beauty  that  his  child  presented. 
"  Remember  the  heats  of  July,  my  daughter;  nor 
venture  further  than  thou  canst  retrace  before  the 
meridian.  Where  is  thy  parasol,  girl  ?  thou  wilt 


THE    PIONEERS.  379 

lose  the  polish  of  thy  brow,  under  this  sun  and 
southern  breeze,  unless  thou  guard  it  with  unusual 
care." 

"  I  shall  then  do  more  honour  to  my  connex 
ions,"  returned  the  smiling  daughter.  "  Cousin 
Richard  has  a  bloom  that  any  lady  might  envy.  At 
present  the  resemblance  between  us  is  so  trifling, 
that  no  stranger  would  know  us  to  be c  sisters'  chil 
dren.'  " 

"  Grand-children,  you  mean,  cousin  Bess,"  said 
the  Sheriff.  "  But  on,  Judge  Temple  ;  time  and 
tide  wait  for  no  man ;  and  if  you  take  my  counsel, 
sir,  in  twelve  months  from  this  day,  you  may  make 
an  umbrella  for  your  daughter  of  her  camel's-hair 
shawl,  and  have  its  frame  of  solid  silver.  I 
ask  nothing  for  myself,  'duke ;  you  have  been  a 
good  friend  to  me  already ;  besides,  all  that  I  have 
will  go  to  Bess,  there,  one  of  these  melancholy 
days,  so  it's  as  long  as  it's  sho'rt,  where  I  or  you 
leave  it.  But  we  have  a  day's  ride  before  us,  sir ; 
so  move  forward,  or  dismount,  and  say  you  won't 
go,  at  once." 

"  Patience,  patience,  Dickon,"  returned  the 
Judge,  checking  his  horse,  and  turning  again  to  his 
daughter.  "  If  thou  art  for  the  mountains,  love, 
stray  not  too  deep  into  the  forest,  I  entreat  thee ; 
for,  though  it  is  done  often  with  impunity,  there  is 
sometimes  danger." 

"  Not  at  this  season,  I  believe,  sir,"  said  Eliza 
beth  ;  "for,  I  will  confess,  it  is  the  intention  of 
Louisa  and  myself  to  stroll  among  the  hills." 

"  Less  at  this  season  than  in  the  winter,  dear  ; 
but  still  there  may  be  danger  in  venturing  too  far. 
But  though  thou  a^t  resolute,  Elizabeth,  thou  art 
too  much  like  thy  mother  not  to  be  prudent." 

The  eyes  of  the  parent  turned  reluctantly  from 
the  brilliant  beauty  of  his  child,  and  the  Judge  and 


380  THE    PIONEERS. 

Sheriff  rode  slowly  through  the  gateway,  and  dis 
appeared  among  the  buildings  of  the  village. 

During  this  short  dialogue,  young  Edwards  had 
stood,  an  attentive  listener,  holding  in  his  hand  a 
fishing-rod,  the  day  and  the  season  having  tempted 
him  also  to  desert  the  house,  for  the  pleasure  of 
exercise  in  the  air.  As  the  equestrians  turned 
through  the  gate,  he  approached  the  young  maid 
ens,  who  were  already  moving  on  to  the  gravelled 
walk  that  led  to  the  street,  and  was  about  to  ad 
dress  them,  as  Louisa  paused,  and  said  quickly — 

"  Here  is  Mr.  Edwards  would  speak  to  us, 
Elizabeth." 

The  other  stopped  also,  and  turned  to  the  youth, 
politely,  but  with  a  slight  coldness  in  her  air,  that 
sensibly  checked  the  freedom  with  which  the  gen 
tleman  had  approached  them. 

"  Your  father  is  not  pleased  that  you  should 
walk  unattended  in  the  hills,  Miss  Temple.  If  I 
might  offer  myself  as  a  protector" — 

"  Does  my  father  select  Mr.  Oliver  Edwards  as 
the  organ  of  his  displeasure  ?"  interrupted  the  lady. 

"  Good  Heaven  !  you  misunderstood  my  mean 
ing,"  cried  the  youth ;  "  I  should  have  said  uneasy, 
for  not  pleased.  I  am  his  servant,  madam,  and  in 
consequence  yours.  I  repeat  that,  with  your  con 
sent,  I  will  change  my  rod  for  a  fowling  piece,  and 
keep  nigh  you  on  the  mountain." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Edwards,"  returned  Eliza 
beth,  suffering  one  of  her  fascinating  smiles  to  chase 
the  trifling  frown  from  her  features  ;  "  but  where 
there  is  no  danger,  no  protection  is  required.  We 
are  not  yet,  sir,  reduced  to  wandering  among  these 
free  hills  accompanied  by  a  body-guard.  If  sucto 
an  one  is  necessary,  there  he  is,  however. — Her*, 
Brave, — Brave — my  noble  Brave  !" 

The  huge  mastiff  that  has  been  already  mentio* 


THE   PIONEERS.  381 

ed,  appeared  from  his  kennel,  gaping  and  stretching 
himself,  with  a  pampered  laziness  ;  but  as  his  mis 
tress  again  called — ".  Come,  dear  Brave  ;  once  have 
you  served  your  master  well;  let  us  see  how  you 
can  do  your  duty  by  his  daughter" — the  dog  wag 
ged  his  tail,  as  if  he  understood  her  language,  walk 
ed  with  a  stately  gait  to  her  side,  where  he  seated 
himself,  and  looked  up  at  her  face,  with  an  intelli 
gence  but  little  inferior  to  that  which  beamed  in 
her  own  lovely  countenance. 

She  resumed  her  walk,  but  again  paused,  after  a 
few  steps,  and  added,  in  tones  of  conciliation — 

"  You  can  be  serving  us  equally,  and,  I  presume, 
more  agreeably  to  yourself,  Mr.  Edwards,  by  bring 
ing  us  a  string  of  your  favourite  perch,  for  the  din 
ner-table." 

When  they  again  began  to  walk,  Miss  Temple 
did  not  look  back  to  see  how  the  youth  bore  this 
repulse  ;  but  the  head  of  Louisa  was  turned  seve 
ral  times  before  they  reached  the  gate,  on  that  con 
siderate  errand. 

"  I  am  afraid,  Elizabeth,"  she  said,  "  that  we 
have  mortified  Oliver.  He  is  still  standing  where 
we  left  him,  leaning  on  his  rod.  Perhaps  he  thinks 
us  proud." 

"  He  thinks  justly,"  exclaimed  Miss  Temple,  as 
if  awaking  from  a  deep  musing  ;  "  he  thinks  justly, 
then.  We  are  too  proud  to  admit  of  such  particu 
lar  attentions  from  a  young  man  in  an  equivocal 
situation.  What !  make  him  the  companion  of  our 
most  private  walks !  It  is  pride,  Louisa,  but  it  is 
the  pride  of  a  woman." 

It  was  several  minutes  before  Oliver  aroused 
himself  from  the  abstracted  position  in  which  he 
was  standing  when  Louisa  last  saw  him ;  but  when 
he  did,  he  muttered  something  rapidly  and  inco 
herently,  and  throwing  his  rod  over  his  shoulder, 


382  THE   PIONEERi. 

he  strode  down  the  walk,  through  the  gate,  and 
along  one  of  the  streets  of  the  village,  until  he 
reached  the  lake-shore,  with  the  air  of  an  emperor. 
At  this  spot  boats  were  kept  for  the  use  of  Judge 
Temple  and  his  family.  The  young  man  threw 
himself  into  a  light  skiff,  and  seizing  the  oars,  he 
sent  it  across  the  lake  towards  the  hut  of  Leather- 
stocking,  with  a  pair  of  vigorous  arms.  By  the 
time  he  had  rowed  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  his  reflec 
tions  were  less  bitter ;  and  when  he  saw  the  bushes 
that  lined  the  shore  in  front  of  Natty's  habitation 
gliding  by  him,  as  if  they  possessed  the  motion 
which  proceeded  from  his  own  efforts,  he  was  quite 
cooled  in  mind,  though  somewhat  heated  in  body. 
It  is  quite  possible,  that  the  very  same  reason  which 
guided  the  conduct  of  Miss  Temple,  suggested  it 
self  to  a  man  of  the  breeding  and  education  of  the 
youth ;  and  it  is  very  certain,  that  if  such  were  the 
case,  Elizabeth  rose  instead  of  falling  in  the  esti 
mation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

The  oars  were  now  raised  from  the  water,  and 
the  boat  shot  close  in  to  the  land,  where  it  lay  gently 
agitated  by  waves  of  its  own  creating,  while  the 
young  man,  first  casting  a  cautious  and  searching 
glance  around  him  in  every  direction,  put  a  small 
whistle  to  his  mouth,  and  blew  a  long,  shrill  note, 
that  rung  far  among  the  echoing  rocks  behind  the 
hut.  At  this  alarm,  the  hounds  of  Natty  rushed 
out  of  their  bark  kennel,  and  commenced  their  long, 
piteous  howls,  leaping  about  as  if  half  frantic,  though 
restrained  by  the  leashes  of  buck-skin,  by  which 
they  were  fastened. 

"  Quiet,  Hector,  quiet,"  said  Oliver,  again  ap 
plying  his  whistle  to  his  mouth,  and  drawing  out 
notes  still  more  shrill  than  before.  No  reply  was 
made,  the  dogs  having  returned  to  their  kennel  at 
the  sounds  of  his  voice. 


THE    PIONEERS.  383 

Edwards  pulled  the  bows  of  the  boat  on  to  the 
shore,  and  landing,  ascended  the  beach  and  ap 
proached  the  door  of  the  cabin.  The  fastenings 
were  soon  undone,  and  he  entered,  closing  the 
door  after  him,  when  all  was  as  silent,  in  that  re 
tired  spot,  as  if  the  foot  of  man  had  never  trod 
the  wilderness.  The  sounds  of  the  hammers,  that 
were  in  incessant  motion  in  the  village,  were  faintly 
heard  across  the  water  ;  but  the  dogs  had  crouched 
into  their  lairs,  well  satisfied  that  none  but  the  pri 
vileged  had  approached  the  forbidden  ground. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  elapsed  before  the  youth 
re-appeared,  when  he  fastened  the  door  again,  and 
spoke  kindly  to  the  hounds.  The  dogs  came  out 
at  the  well-known  tones,  and  the  slut  jumped  upon 
his  person,  whining  and  barking,  as  if  entreating 
Oliver  to  release  her  from  her  prison.  But  Old 
Hector  raised  his  nose  to  the  light  current  of  air, 
and  opened  a  long  howl,  that  might  have  been 
heard  for  a  mile. 

"  Ha !  what  do  you  scent,  my  old  veteran  of  the 
woods  ?"  cried  Edwards.  "  If  a  beast,  it  is  a  bold 
one,  and  if  a  man,  an  impudent." 

He  sprung  through  the  top  of  a  pine  that  had 
fallen  near  the  side  of  the  hut,  and  ascended  a 
small  hillock  that  sheltered  the  cabin  to  the  south, 
where  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  formal  figure  of 
Hiram  Doolittle,  as  it  vanished  with  an  unusual  ra 
pidity  for  the  architect,  amid  the  trees  and  bushes. 

"  What  can  that  fellow  be  wanting  here  ?"  mut- 
ered  Oliver.  "  He  has  no  business  in  this  quar 
ter,  unless  it  be  his  curiosity,  which  is  an  endemic 
in  these  woods.  But  against  that  I  will  effectually 
guard,  though  the  dogs  should  take  a  liking  to  hil? 
ugly  visage,  and  let  him  pass."  The  youth  re 
turned  to  the  door,  while  giving  vent  to  this  solilo 
quy,  and  completed  the  fastenings,  ty  placing  a 


384  THE    PIONEERS. 

small  chain  through  a  staple,  and  securing  it  there 
by  a  padlock.  "  He  is  a  pettifogger,  and  surely 
must  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  feloniously 
breaking  into  a  man's  house/' 

Apparently  well  satisfied  with  this  arrangement, 
the  youth  again  spoke  to  the  hounds;  and,  de 
scending  to  the  shore,  he  launched  his  boat,  and 
taking  up  his  oars,  pulled  off  into  the  lake. 

There  were  several  places  in  the  Otsego  that 
were  celebrated  as  fishing-ground  for  the  perch. 
One  was  nearly  opposite  to  the  cabin,  and  another, 
still  more  famous,  was  near  a  point,  at  the  distance 
of  a  mile  and  a  half  above  it,  under  the  brow  of 
the  mountain,  and  on  the  same  side  of  the  lake 
with  the  hut.  Oliver  Edwards  pulled  his  little 
skiff  over  the  first,  and  sat,  for  a  minute,  undecided 
whether  to  continue  there,  with  his  eyes  on  the 
door  of  the  cabin,  or  to  change  his  ground,  with  a 
view  to  get  superior  game.  While  gazing  about 
him,  he  saw  the  light-coloured  bark  canoe  of  his 
old  companions,  riding  on  the  water,  at  the  point 
we  have  mentioned,  and  containing  two  figures, 
that  he  at  once  knew  to  be  Mohegan  and  the 
Leather-stocking.  This  decided  the  matter,  and 
the  youth  pulled  his  little  boat,  in  a  very  few  mi 
nutes,  to  the  place  where  his  friends  were  fishing, 
and  fastened  it  to  the  light  vessel  of  the  Indian. 

The  old  men  received  Oliver  with  welcoming 
nods  of  their  heads,  but  neither  drew  his  line  from 
the  water,  nor,  in  the  least,  varied  his  occupation. 
When  Edwards  had  secured  his  own  boat,  he  bait 
ed  his  hook  and  threw  it  into  the  lake,  without 
speaking. 

"  Did  you  stop  at  the  wigwam,  lad,  as  you  row 
ed  by  ?"  asked  Natty. 

"  Yes,  and  I  found  all  safe  ;  but  that  carpenter 
and  justice  of  the  peace,  Mr.  or,  as  they  call  him, 


THE    PIONEERS.  385 

Squire  Dooiittle,  was  prowling  through  the  woods, 
nigh  by.  But  I  made  sure  of  the  door,  before  I 
left  the  hut,  and  I  think  he  is  too  great  a  coward 
to  approach  the  hounds." 

"  There's  little  to  be  said  in  favour  of  that  man," 
said  Natty,  while  he  drew  in  a  perch  and  baited  his 
hook.  "  He  craves  dreadfully  to  come  into  the 
cabin,  and  has  as  good  as  asked  me  as  much  to  my 
face ;  but  I  put  him  off  with  unsartain  answers,  so 
that  he  is  no  wiser  than  Solomon.  This  comes  of 
having  so  many  laws  that  such  a  man  may  be  call 
ed  on  to  intarpret  them." 

"  I  fear  he  is  more  knave  than  fool,"  cried  Ed 
wards  ;  "  I  see  that  he  makes  a  tool  of  that  simple 
man,  the  Sheriff,  and  I  dread  that  his  impertinent 
curiosity  may  yet  give  us  much  trouble." 

"  If  he  harbours  too  much  about  the  cabin,  lad, 
I'll  shoot  the  creater,"  said  the  Leather-stocking, 
quite  coolly. 

"  No,  no,  Natty,  you  must  remember  the  law," 
said  Edwards,  "  or  we  shall  have  you  in  trouble  ; 
and  that,  old  man,  would  be  an  evil  day,  and  sore 
tidings  to  us  all." 

"  Would  it,  boy !"  exclaimed  the  hunter,  raising 
his  eyes  with  a  look  of  friendly  interest  towards 
the  youth.  "  You  have  the  true  blood  in  your 
veins,  Mr.  Oliver,  and  I'll  support  it,  to  the  face 
of  Judge  Temple,  or  in  any  court  in  the  country. 
How  is  it,  John  ?  do  I  speak  the  true  word  ?  is  the 
lad  staunch,  and  of  the  right  blood?" 

"  He  is  a  Delaware,"  said  Mohegan,  "  and  my 
brother.  The  young  Eagle  is  brave,  and  he  will 
be  a  chief.  No  harm  can  come." 

"  Well,  well,"  cried  the  youth,  impatiently , 
"  say  no  more  about  it,  my  good  friends  ;  if  I  am 
not  all  that  your  partiality  would  make  me,  I  am 
33 


386  THE    PIONEERS. 

yours  through  life — in  prosperity  as  in  poverty. 
But  now  we  will  talk  of  other  matters." 

The  old  hunters  yielded  to  his  wish,  which 
seemed  to  be  their  law.  For  a  short  time  a  pro 
found  silence  prevailed,  during  which  each  man 
was  very  busy  with  his  hook  and  line  ;  but  Ed 
wards,  probably  feeling  that  it  remained  with  him 
to  renew  the  discourse,  soon  observed,  with  the 
air  of  one  who  knew  not  what  he  said — 

"  How  beautifully  tranquil  and  glassy  the  lake 
is.  Saw  you  it  ever  more  calm  and  even  than  at 
this  moment,  Natty  ?" 

"  I  have  known  the  Otsego  water  for  five-and- 
forty  years,"  said  Leather-stocking,  "  and  I  will 
say  that  for  it,  which  is,  that  a  cleaner  spring  or  a 
better  fishing  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  land.  Yes, 
yes — I  had  the  place  to  myself  once  ;  and  a  cheer 
ful  time  I  had  of  it.  The  game  was  as  plenty  as 
heart  could  wish,  and  there  was  none  to  meddle 
with  the  ground,  unless  there  might  have  been  a 
hunting  party  of  the  Delawares  crossing  the  hills, 
or,  maybe,  a  rifling  scout  of  them  thieves,  the  Iro- 
quois.  There  was  one  or  two  Frenchmen  that 
squatted  in  the  flats,  further  west,  and  married 
squaws  ;  and  some  of  the  Scotch-Irishers,  from  the 
Cherry  Valley,  would  come  on  to  the  lake,  and 
borrow  my  canoe,  to  take  a  mess  of  parch,  or  drop 
a  line  for  a  salmon-trout ;  but,  in  the  main,  it  was 
a  cheerful  place,  and  I  had  but  little  to  disturb  me 
in  it.  John  would  come,  and  John  knows." 

Mohegan  turned  his  dark  face,  at  this  appeal, 
and,  moving  his  hand  forward  with  a  graceful  mo 
tion  of  assent,  he  spoke,  using  the  Delaware  lan 
guage — 

"  The  land  was  owned  by  my  people;  we  gave 
it  to  my  brother,  in  council-  -to  the  Fire-Eater ; 


THE    PIONEERS.  387 

and  what  the  Delawares  give,  lasts  as  long  as  the 
waters  run.  Hawk-eye  smoked  at  that  council, 
for  we  loved  him." 

"  No,  no,  John,"  said  Natty,  "  I  was  no  chief, 
seeing  that  I  know'd  nothing  of  scholarship,  and 
had  a  white  skin.  But  it  was  a  comfortable  hunt 
ing-ground  then,  lad,  and  would  have  been  so  to 
this  day,  but  for  the  money  of  Marmaduke  Temple, 
and,  maybe,  the  twisty  ways  of  the  law." 

"  It  must  have  been  a  sight  of  melancholy  plea 
sure,  indeed,"  said  Edwards,  while  his  eye  roved 
along  the  shores  and  over  the  hills,  where  the 
clearings,  groaning  with  the  golden  corn,  were 
cheering  the  forests  with  the  signs  of  life,  "  to  have 
roamed  over  these  mountains,  and  along  this  sheet 
of  beautiful  water,  without  a  living  soul  to  speak 
to,  or  to  thwart  your  humour." 

"  Haven't  I  said  it  was  a  cheerful !"  said  Lea 
ther-stocking.  "  Yes,  yes — when  the  trees  begun 
to  be  kivered  with  the  leaves,  and  the  ice  was  out 
of  the  lake,  it  was  a  second  paradise.  I  have  tra 
velled  the  woods  for  fifty-three  years,  and  have 
made  them  my  home  for  more  than  forty,  and  I  can 
say  that  I  have  met  but  one  place  that  was  more  to 
my  liking  ;  and  that  was  only  to  eyesight,  and  not 
for  hunting  or  fishing." 

"  And  where  was  that  ?"  asked  Edwards. 

"  Where  !  why  up  on  the  Cattskills.  I  used 
often  to  go  up  into  the  mountains  after  wolves' 
skins,  and  bears ;  once  they  bought  me  to  get  them 
a  stuffed  painter ;  and  so  I  often  went.  There's  a 
place  in  them  hills  that  I  used  to  climb  to  when  I 
wanted  to  see  the  carryings  on  of  the  wrorld,  that 
would  well  pay  any  man  for  a  barked  shin  or  a  torn 
moccasin.  You  know  the  Cattskills,  lad,  for  you 
must  have  seen  them  on  your  left,  as  you  followed 
the  river  up  from  York,  looking  as  blue  as  a  piece 


388  THE    PIONEERS. 

of  clear  sky,  and  holding  the  clouds  on  their  tops, 
as  the  smoke  curls  over  the  head  of  an  Indian  chief 
at  a  council  fire.  Well,  there's  the  High-peak  and 
the  Round-top,  which  lay  back,  like  a'  father  and 
mother  among  their  children,  seeing  they  are  fai 
above  all  the  other  hills.  But  the  place  I  mean  is 
next  to  the  river,  where  one  of  the  ridges  juts  out 
a  little  from  the  rest,  and  where  the  rocks  fall  for 
the  best  part  of  a  thousand  feet,  so  much  up  and 
down,  that  a  man  standing  on  their  edges  is  fool 
enough  to  think  he  can  jump  from  top  to  bottom." 

"  What  see  you  when  you  get  there  ?"  asked 
Edwards. 

"  Creation  !"  said  Natty,  dropping  the  end  of  his 
rod  into  the  water,  and  sweeping  one  hand  around 
him  in  a  circle — u  all  creation,  lad.  I  was  on  that 
hill  when  Vaughan  burnt  'Sopus,  in  the  last  war, 
and  I  seen  the  vessels  come  out  of  the/  Highlands 
as  plain  as  I  can  see  that  lime-scow  rowing  into  the 
Susquehanna,  though  one  was  twenty  times  further 
from  me  than  the  other.  The  river  was  in  sight 
for  seventy  miles,  under  my  feet,  looking  like  a 
curled  shaving,  though  it  was  eight  long  miles  to 
its  banks.  I  saw  the  hills  in  the  Hampshire  grants, 
the  high  lands  of  the  river,  and  all  that  God  had 
done  or  man  could  do,  as  far  as  eye  could  reach 
— you  know  that  the  Indians  named  me  for  my 
sight,  lad — and  from  the  flat  on  the  top  of  that 
mountain,  I  have  often  found  the  place  where  Al 
bany  stands  ;  and  as  for  'Sopus  !  the  day  the  royal 
troops  burnt  the  town,  the  smoke  seemed  so  nigh, 
that  I  thought  I  could  hear  the  screeches  of  the 
women." 

"  It  must  have  been  worth  the  toil,  to  meet  with 
such  a  glorious  view  !" 

"  If  being  the  best  part  of  a  mile  in  the  air,  and 
having  men's  farms  and  housen  at  your  feet,  with 


THE    PIONEERS.  389 

rivers  looking  like  ribands,  and  mountains  bigger 
than  the  c  Vision,'  seeming  to  be  haystacks  of 
green  grass  under  you,  gives  any  satisfaction  to  a 
man,  I  can  recommend  the  spot.  When  I  first 
come  into  the  woods  to  live,  I  used  to  have  weak 
spells,  and  I  felt  lonesome  ;  and  then  I  would  go 
into  the  Cattskills  and  spend  a  few  days  on  that 
hill,  to  look  at  the  ways  of  man ;  but  it's  now  many 
a  year  since  I  felt  any  such  longings,  and  I'm  get 
ting  too  old  for  them  rugged  rocks.  But  there's  a 
place,  a  short  two  miles  back  of  that  very  hill,  that 
in  late  times  I  relished  better  than  the  mountain  ; 
for  it  was  more  kivered  with  the  trees,  and  more 
nateral." 

"  And  where  was  that  ?"  inquired  Edwards, 
whose  curiosity  was  strongly  excited  by  the  simple 
description  of  the  hunter. 

"  Why,  there's  a  fall  in  the  hills,  where  the  wa 
ter  of  two  little  ponds  that  lie  near  each  other 
breaks  out  of  their  bounds,  and  runs  over  the  rocks 
into  the  valley.  The  stream  is,  maybe,  such  a 
one  as  would  turn  a  mill,  if  so  useless  a  thing  was 
wanted  in  the  wilderness.  But  the  hand  that  made 
that '  Leap'  never  made  a  mill !  There  the  water 
comes  crooking  and  winding  among  the  rocks,  first 
so  slow  that  a  trout  could  swim  in  it,  and  then  start 
ing  and  running  just  like  any  creater  that  wanted 
to  make  a  far  spring, -till  it  gets  to  where  the  moun 
tain  divides,  like  the  cleft  hoof  of  a  deer,  leaving  a 
deep  hollow  for  the  brook  to  tumble  into.  The 
first  pitch  is  nigh  two  hundred  feet,  and  the  water 
looks  like  flakes  of  driven  snow,  afore  it  touches 
the  bottom  ;  and  there  the  stream  gathers  itself  to 
gether  again  for  a  new  start,  and  maybe  flutters 
over  fifty  feet  of  flat-rock,  before  it  falls  for  another 
hundred,  when  it  jumps  about  from  shelf  to  shelf, 
first  turning  this-away  and  then  turning  that-away, 
33* 


390  THE    PIONEERS. 

striving  to  get  out  of  the  hollow,  till  it  finally  comes 
to  the  plain." 

"  I  have  never  heard  of  this  spot  before  !"  ex 
claimed  Edwards ;  "  it  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
books." 

"  I  never  read  a  book  in  my  life,"  said  Leather- 
stocking  ;  "  and  how  should  a  man  who  has  lived 
*n  towns  and  schools  know  any  thing  about  the 
wonders  of  the  woods !  No,  no,  lad;  there  has  that 
.ittle  stream  of  water  been  playing  among  them 
jills,  since  He  made  the  world,  and  not  a  dozen 
white  men  have  ever  laid  eyes  on  it.  The  rock 
sweeps  like  mason- work,  in  a  half-round,  on  both 
sides  of  the  fall,  and  shelves  over  the  bottom  for 
fifty  feet ;  so  that  when  I've  been  sitting  at  the 
•"cot  of  the  first  pitch,  and  my  hounds  have  run  into 
the  caverns  behind  the  sheet  of  water,  they've 
.ooked  no  bigger  than  so  many  rabbits.  To  my 
tudgment,  lad,  it's  the  best  piece  of  work  that  I've 
met  with  in  the  woods  ;  and  none  know  how  often 
the  hand  of  God  is  seen  in  a  wilderness,  but  them 
that  rovr  it  for  a  man's  life." 

"  What  becomes  of  the  water  ?  in  which  direc 
tion  does  it  run  ?  Is  it  a  tributary  of  the  Delaware  ?" 

"  Anan  !"  said  Natty. 

"  Does  the  water  run  into  the  Delaware  ?" 

"  No,  no,  it's  a  drop  for  the  old  Hudson ;  and  a 
merry  time  it  has  till  it  gets  down  off  the  moun 
tain.  I've  sat  on  the  shelving  rock  many  a  long 
nour,  boy,  and  watched  the  bubbles  as  they  shot 
by  me,  and  thought  how  long  it  would  be  before 
that  very  water,  which  seemed  made  for  the  wil 
derness,  would  be  under  the  bottom  of  a  vessel, 
and  tossing  in  the  salt  sea.  It  is  a  spot  to  make 
a  man  solemnize.  You  can  see  right  down  into 
the  valley  that  lies  to  the  east  oi  the  High-Peak, 
where,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  thousands  of  acres 


THE    PIONEERS.  391 

of  woods  are  before  your  eyes,  in  the  deep  hollow, 
and  along  the  side  of  the  mountain,  painted  like 
ten  thousand  rainbows,  by  no  hand  of  man,  though 
without  the  ordering  of  God's  providence." 

"  Why,  you  are  eloquent,  Leather-stocking,"  ex 
claimed  the  youth. 

"  Anan  !"  repeated  Natty. 

"  The  recollection  of  the  sight  has  warmed  your 
blood,  old  man.  How  many  years  is  it  since  you 
saw  the  place  ?" 

The  hunter  made  no  reply ;  but,  bending  his  ear 
near  to  the  water,  he  sat  for  a  minute  holding  his 
breath,  and  listening  attentively  as  if  to  some  dis 
tant  sound.  At  length  he  raised  his  head,  and 
said — 

"  If  I  hadn't  fastened  the  hounds  with  my  own 
hands,  with  a  fresh  leash  of  green  buck-skin,  I'd 
take  a  Bible  oath  that  I  heard  old  Hector  ringing 
his  cry  on  the  mountain." 

"  It  is  impossible,"  said  Edwards,  "  It  is  not  an 
hour  since  I  saw  him  in  his  kennel." 

By  this  time  the  attention  of  Mohegan  was  at 
tracted  to  the  sounds ;  but,  notwithstanding  the 
youth  was  both  silent  and  attentive,  he  could  hear 
nothing  but  the  lowing  of  some  cattle  from  the 
western  hills.  He  looked  at  the  old  men,  Natty 
sitting  with  his  hand  to  his  ear,  like  a  trumpet,  and 
Mohegan  bending  forward,  with  his  arm  raised  to 
a  level  with  his  face,  holding  the  fore-finger  ele 
vated  as  a  signal  for  attention,  and  laughed  aloud 
at  what  he  deemed  to  be  their  imaginary  sounds. 

"  Laugh  if  you  will,  boy,"  said  Leather-stock 
ing,  "  the  hounds  be  out,  and  are  hunting  a  deer. 
No  man  can  deceive  me  in  such  a  manner.  I 
wouldn't  have  had  the  thing  happen  for  a  beaver's 
skin.  Not  that  I  care  for  the  law !  but  the  veni 
son  is  lean  now,  and  the  dumb  things  run  the  flesh 


392  THE    PIONEERS. 

off  their  bones  for  no  good.     Now  do  you  hear 
the  hounds  ?" 

Edwards  started,  as  a  full  cry  hroke  on  his  ear, 
changing  from  the  distant  sounds  that  were  caused 
by  some  intervening  hill,  to  the  confused  echoes 
that  rung  among  the  rocks  that  the  dogs  were 
passing,  and  then  directly  to  a  deep  and  hollow 
baying  that  pealed  under  the  forest  on  the  lake 
shore.  These  variations  in  the  tones  of  the  hounds 
passed  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  while  his  eyes 
were  glancing  along  the  margin  of  the  water,  a 
tearing  of  the  branches  of  the  alder  and  dog-wood 
caught  his  attention,  at  a  spot  near  them,  and  at  the 
next  moment  a  noble  buck  sprung  on  the  shore, 
and  buried  himself  in  the  lake.  A  full-mouthed 
cry,  directly  from  the  lungs  of  the  hounds,  follow 
ed,  when  Hector  and  the  slut  shot  through  the 
opening  in  the  bushes,  and  darted  into  the  lake 
also,  bearing  their  treasts  most  gallantly  to  the 
water. 


CHAPTEE  XXVII. 


"  Oft  in  the  full  descending  flood  he  tries 
To  lose  the  scent,  and  lave  his  burning  sides." 
Thomson 


"  I  KNOW'D  it— I  know'd  it !"  cried  Natty,  when 
both  deer  and  hounds  were  in  full  view; — "  the 
ouck  has  gone  by  them  with  the  wind,  and  it  has 
been  too  much  for  the  poor  rogues ;  but  I  must 
break  them  of  these  tricks,  or  they'll  give  me  a 
deal  of  trouble.  He-ere,  he-ere — shore  with  you, 
rascals — shore  with  you — will  ye  ? — Oh !  off  witfy 
you,  old  Hector,  or  I'll  hatchel  your  hide  with  my 
ramrod  when  I  get  ye." 

The  dogs  knew  their  master's  voice,  and  after 
swimming  in  a  circle,  as  if  reluctant  to  give  over 
the  chase,  and  yet  afraid  to  persevere,  they  finally 
obeyed,  and  returned  to  the  land,  where  they  fill 
ed  the  air  with  their  bowlings  and  cries. 

In  the  mean  time  the  deer,  urged  by  his  fears, 
had  swam  over  half  the  distance  between  the  shore 
and  the  boats,  before  his  terror  permitted  him  to 
see  the  new  danger.  But  at  the  sounds  of  Natty 's 
voice,  he  turned  short  in  his  course,  and  for  a  few 
moments  seemed  about  to  rush  back  again,  and 
brave  the  dogs.  His  retreat  in  this  direction  was, 
however,  effectually  cut  off,  and  turning  a  second 
time,  he  urged  his  course  obliquely  for  the  centre 
of  the  lake,  with  an  intention  of  landing  on  the 


394  THE    PIONEERS. 

western  shore.  As  the  buck  swam  by  the  fisher 
men,  raising  his  nose  high  into  the  air,  curling  the 
water  before  his  slim  neck  like  the  beak  of  a  gal 
ley,  throwing  his  legs  forward,  and  gliding  along 
with  incredible  velocity,  the  Leather-stocking  be 
gan  to  sit  very  uneasy  in  his  canoe. 

"  'Tis  a  noble  creater  !"  he  exclaimed ;  u  what  a 
pair  of  horns  !  a  man  might  hang  up  all  his  gar 
ments  on  the  branches.  Let  me  see — July  is  the 
last  month,  and  the  flesh  must  be  getting  good." 
While  he  was  talking,  Natty  had  instinctively  em 
ployed  himself  in  fastening  the  inner  end  of  the 
bark  rope,  that  served  him  for  a  cable,  to  a  pad 
dle,  and,  rising  suddenly  on  his  legs,  he  cast  this 
buoy  away  from  him,  and  cried — "  Strike  out, 
John  !  let  her  go.  The  creater's  a  fool  to  tempt  a 
man  in  this  way." 

Mohegan  threw  the  fastening  of  the  youth's  boat 
off  the  canoe,  and  with  one  stroke  of  his  paddle 
sent  the  light  bark  over  the  water  like  a  meteor. 

"  Hold  !"  exclaimed  Edwards.  "  Remember  the 
law,  my  old  friends.  You  are  in  plain  sight  of  the 
village,  and  I  know  that  Judge  Temple  is  deter 
mined  to  prosecute  all,  indiscriminately,  who  kill 
the  deer  out  of  season." 

But  the  remonstrance  came  too  late  :  the  canoe 
was  already  far  from  the  skiff,  and  the  two  hunters 
too  much  engaged  in  their  pursuit  to  listen  to  his 
voice. 

The  buck  was  now  within  fifty  yards  of  his  pur 
suers,  cutting  the  water  most  gallantly,  and  snort 
ing  at  each  breath  with  his  terror  and  his  exertions, 
while  the  canoe  seemed  to  dance  over  the  waves, 
as  it  rose  and  fell  with  the  undulations  made  by 
its  own  motion.  Leather-stocking  raised  his  rifle 
and  freshened  the  priming,  but  stood  in  s 


THE    PIONEERS.  395 

*  Shall  I,  John,  or  no  ?"  he  said.  "  It  seems  but 
a  poor  advantage  to  take  of  the  dumb  thing  too.  I 
won't ;  it  has  taken  to  the  water  on  its  own  nater, 
which  is  the  reason  that  God  has  given  to  a  deer, 
and  I'll  give  it  the  lake  play ;  so,  John,  lay  out 
your  armband  mind  the  turn  of  the  buck  ;  its  easy 
to  catch  them,  but  they'll  turn  like  a  snake." 

The  Indian  laughed  at  the  conceit  of  his  friend, 
but  continued  to  send  the  canoe  forward  with  a  ve 
locity  that  proceeded  much  more  from  his  skill 
than  his  strength.  Both  of  the  old  men  now  used 
the  language  of  the  Delawares  when  they  spoke. 

"  Hooh  !"  exclaimed  Mohegan ;  "  the  deer  turns 
his  head.  Hawk-eye,  lift  your  spear." 

Natty  never  moved  abroad  without  taking  with 
him  every  implement  that  might,  by  possibility,  be 
of  service  in  his  pursuits.  From  his  rifle  he  never 
parted;  and  although  intending  to  fish  with  the 
line,  the  canoe  was  invariably  furnished  with  all  of 
its  utensils,  even  to  its  grate.  This  precaution 
grew  out  of  the  habits  of  the  hunter,  who  was  often 
led,  by  his  necessities  or  his  sports,  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  his  original  destination.  A  few  years  ear 
lier  than  the  date  of  our  tale,  the  Leather-stocking 
had  left  his  hut  on  the  shores  of  the  Otsego,  with 
his  rifle  and  his  hounds,  for  a  few  days'  hunting 
in  the  hills ;  but  before  he  returned  he  had  seen 
the  waters  of  the  Ontario.  One,  two,  or  even 
three  hundred  miles  had  once  been  nothing  to  his 
sinews,  which  were  now  a  little  stiffened  by  age. 
The  hunter  did  as  Mohegan  advised,  and  prepared 
to  strike  a  blow  with  the  barbed  weapon  into  the 
neck  of  the  buck. 

"  Lay  her  more  to  the  left,  John,"  he  cried,  "lay 
her  moie  to  the  left ;  another  stroke  of  the  paddle, 
and  I  have  him." 

While  speaking,  he  raised  *he  spear,  and  darted 


396  THE    PIONEERS. 

it  from  him  like  an  arrow.  At  that  instant  the  buck 
turned,  the  long  pole  glanced  by  him,  the  iron 
striking  against  his  horn,  and  buried  itself,  harm 
lessly,  in  the  lake. 

"  Back  water,"  cried  Natty,  as  the  canoe  glided 
over  the  place  where  the  spear  had  fallen,  "  hold 
water,  John." 

The  pole  soon  reappeared,  shooting  upward  from 
the  lake,  and  as  the  hunter  seized  it  in  his  hand, 
the  Indian  whirled  the  light  canoe  round,  where  it 
lay,  and  renewed  the  chase.  But  this  evolution 
gave  the  buck  a  great  advantage  ;  and  it  also  allow 
ed  time  for  Edwards  to  approach  the  scene  of  ac 
tion. 

"  Hold  your  hand,  Natty,"  cried  the  youth, 
"  hold  your  hand  ;  remember  it  is  out  of  season." 

This  remonstrance  was  made  as  the  batteau  ar 
rived  close  to  where  the  deer  was  struggling  with 
the  water,  his  back  now  rising  to  the  surface,  now 
sinking  beneath  it,  as  the  waves  curled  from  his 
neck,  the  animal  sustaining  itself  nobly  against  the 
odds. 

"  Hurrah  !"  shouted  Edwards,  inflamed  beyond 
prudence  at  the  sight ;  "  mind  him  as  he  doubles — 
mind  him  as  he  doubles  ;  sheer  more  to  the  right, 
Mohegan,  more  to  the  right,  and  I'll  have  him  by 
the  horns  ;  I'll  throw  the  rope  over  his  antlers." 

The  dark  eye  of  the  old  warrior  wras  dancing  in 
his  head,  with  a  wild  animation,  as  bright  and  natu 
ral  as  the  rays  that  shot  from  the  glancing  eyes  of 
the  terrified  deer  himself,  and  the  sluggish  repose 
in  which  his  aged  frame  had  been  resting  in  the 
canoe,  was  now  changed  to  all  the  rapid  inflections 
of  practised  agility.  The  canoe  whirled  with  each 
cunning  evolution  of  the  chase,  like  a  bubble  float 
ing  in  a  whirlpool ;  and  when  the  direction  of  the 
pursuit  admitted,  for  a  short  distance,  of  a  straight 


THE    PIONEERS.  397 

course,  the  little  bark  skimmed  the  lake  with  a  ve 
locity  that  urged  the  deer  to  seek  its  safety  in  some 
new  and  unexpected  turn.  It  was  the  frequency 
of  these  circuitous  movements,  that,  by  confining 
the  action  to  so  small  a  compass,  enabled  the  youth 
to  keep  near  his  companions.  More  than  twenty 
times  both  the  pursued  and  the  pursuers  glided  by 
him,  just  without  the  reach  of  his  oars,  until  he 
thought  the  best  way  to  view  the  sport  was  to  re 
main  stationary,  and,  by  watching  a  favourable  op 
portunity,  assist  as  much  as  he  could  in  taking  their 
intended  victim. 

He  was  not  required  to  wait  long,  for  no  sooner 
had  he  adopted  this  resolution,  and  risen  in  the 
boat,  than  he  saw  the  deer  coming  bravely  towards 
him,  with  an  apparent  intention  of  pushing  for  a 
point  of  land  at  some  distance  from  the  hounds, 
who  were  still  barking  and  howling  on  the  shore. 
Edwards  caught  the  painter  of  his  skiff,  and,  mak 
ing  a  noose,  cast  it  from  him  with  all  his  force, 
and  luckily  succeeded  in  drawing  its  knot  close 
around  one  of  the  antlers  of  the  buck. 

For  one  instant,  the  skiff  was  drawn  through  the 
water,  but  in  the  next,  the  canoe  glided  before  it, 
and  Natty,  bending  low,  passed  his  knife  across  the 
throat  of  the  animal,  whose  blood  followed  the 
wound,  dying  the  waters  for  many  feet.  The  short 
time  that  was  passed  in  the  last  struggles  of  the 
animal  was  spent  by  the  hunters  in  bringing  their 
boats  together,  and  securing  them  in  that  position, 
when  Leather-stocking  drew  the  deer  from  the 
water,  and  laid  its  lifeless  form  in  the  bottom  of  the 
canoe.  He  placed  his  hands  on  the  ribs,  and  on 
different  parts  of  the  body  of  his  prize,  and  then, 
raising  his  head,  he  laughed  in  his  peculiar  man 
ner,  saying — 

"  So  much  for  Marmaduke  Temple's  law f  This 
34 


398  THE    PIONEERS. 

warms  a  body's  blood,  old  John ;  I  havn't  killed  a 
buck  in  the  lake  afore  this,  'sin  this  many  a  year. 
I  call  that  good  venison,  lad  ;  and  I  know  them  that 
will  relish  the  creater's  steaks,  for  all  the  better 
ments  in  the  land." 

The  Indian  had  long  been  drooping  with  his 
years,  and  perhaps  under  the  calamities  of  his  race, 
but  this  invigorating  and  exciting  sport  had  caused  a 
gleam  of  sunshine  to  cross  his  swarthy  face  that  had 
long  been  absent  from  his  features.  It  was  evident 
that  the  old  man  enjoyed  the  chase  more  as  a  me  - 
morial  of  his  youthful  sports  and  deeds,  than  with 
any  expectation  of  profiting  by  the  success.  He 
felt  the  deer,  however,  lightly,  his  hand  already 
trembling  with  the  reaction  of  his  unusual  exer 
tions,  and  smiled  with  a  nod  of  approbation,  as  he 
said,  in  the  emphatic  and  sententious  manner  of 
his  people — 

"  Good." 

"  I  am  afraid,  Natty,"  said  Edwards,  when  the 
heat  of  the  moment  had  passed,  and  his  blood  be 
gan  to  cool,  "  that  we  have  all  been  equally  trans 
gressors  of  the  law.  But  keep  your  own  counsel, 
and  there  are  none  here  to  betray  us.  Yet,  how 
came  those  dogs  at  large  ?"  I  left  them  securely 
fastened,  I  know,  for  I  felt  the  thongs,  and  examin 
ed  the  knots,  when  I  was  at  the  hut." 

"  It  has  been  too  much  for  the  poor  things,"  said 
Natty,  "  to  have  such  a  buck  take  the  wind  of  them, 
See,  lad,  the  pieces  of  the  buck-skin  are  hanging 
from  their  necks  yet.  Let  us  paddle  up,  John,  and 
I  will  call  them  in,  and  look  a  little  into  the  mat 
ter." 

When  the  old  hunter  landed,  and  examined  the 
thongs  that  were  yet  fast  to  the  hounds,  his  coun 
tenance  sensibly  changed,  and  he  shook  his  head 
doubtingly. 


THE    PIONEERS.  399 

"  Here  has  been  a  knife  at  work,"  he  said — 
"  this  skin  was  never  torn,  nor  is  this  the  mark  of 
a  hound's  tooth.  No,  no — Hector  is  not  in  fault, 
as  I  feared." 

"  Has  the  leather  been  cut  ?"  cried  Edwards. 

"  No,  no — I  didn't  say  it  had  been  cut,  lad  ;  but 
this  is  a  mark  that  was  never  made  by  a  jump  or  a 
bite." 

"  Could  that  rascally  carpenter  have  dared !" 
exclaimed  the  impetuous  youth. 

"•Ay  !  he  durst  to  do  any  thing,  where  there  is 
no  danger,"  said  Natty  ;  "  he  is  a  curious  body,  and 
loves  to  be  helping  other  people  on  with  their  con- 
sarns.  But  he  had  best  not  harbour  so  much  near 
the  wigwam !" 

In  the  mean  time,  Mohegan  had  been  examin 
ing,  with  an  Indian's  sagacity,  the  place  where  the 
leather  thong  had  been  separated.  After  scrutinis 
ing  it  closely,  he  said,  in  Delaware — 

"  It  was  cut  with  a  knife — a  sharp  blade  and  a 
long  handle — and  the  man  was  afraid  of  the  dogs." 

"  How  is  this,  Mohegan  ?"  exclaimed  Edwards ; 
*c  You  saw  it  not !  how  can  you  know  these  facts  ?" 

"  Listen,  son,"  said  the  warrior.  "  The  knife 
was  sharp,  for  the  cut  is  smooth  ; — the  handle  was 
long,  for  a  man's  arm  would  not  reach  from  this 
gash  to  that  cut  that  did  not  go  through  the  skin  ; — 
he  was  a  coward,  or  he  would  have  cut  the  thongs 
around  the  necks  of  the  hounds." 

"  On  my  life,"  cried  Natty,  "  John  is  on  the 
scent !  It  was  that  carpenter ;  and  he  has  got  on 
the  rock  back  of  the  kennel,  and  let  the  dogs  loose 
by  fastening  his  knife  to  a  stick.  It  would  be  an 
easy  matter  to  do  it,  when  a  man  is  so  minded." 

"  And  why  should  he  do  so  ?"  asked  Edwards ; 
"  who  has  done  him  wrong,  that  he  should  trouble 
two  old  men  like  you  ?" 


400  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  It's  a  hard  matter,  lad,  to  know  men's  ways,  I 
find,  since  the  settlers  have  brought  in  their  new 
fashions.  But  is  there  nothing  to  be  found  out  in 
this  place  ?  and  maybe  he  is  troubled  with  his  long 
ings  after  other  people's  business,  as  he  often  is." 

"  Your  suspicions  are  just,"  cried  the  youth, 
"  Give  me  the  canoe  :  I  am  young  and  strong,  and 
will  get  down  there  yet,  perhaps,  in  time  to  inter 
rupt  his  plans.  Heaven  forbid,  that  we  should  be 
at  the  mercy  of  such  a  man  !" 

His  proposal  was  instantly  accepted,  the  deer 
being  placed  in  the  skiff  in  order  to  lighten  the  ca 
noe,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  the  little  vessel 
of  bark  was  gliding  over  the  glassy  lake,  and  was 
soon  hid  by  the  points  of  land,  as  it  shot  close 
along  the  shore. 

Mohegan  followed  slowly  with  the  skiff,  while 
Natty  called  his  hounds  to  him,  bade  them  keep 
close,  and,  shouldering  his  rifle,  he  ascended  the 
mountain,  with  an  intention  of  going  to  the  hut  by 
land. 


CHAPTER  XXYII1 


«  Ask  me  not  what  the  maiden  feel* 
Left  in  that  dreadful  hour  alone  ; 

Perchance,  her  reason  stoops,  or  reels, 
Perchance,  a  courage  not  her  own, 
Braces  her  mind  to  desperate  tone  ?J 

Scott. 


WHILE  the  chase  was  occurring  on  the  lake? 
Miss  Temple  and  her  companion  pursued  their 
walk  with  the  activity  of  youth.  Male  attendants 
on  such  excursions,  were  thought  to  be  altogether  ur> 
necessary,  for  none  were  ever  known,  there,  to  offer 
an  insult  to  a  female  who  respected  the  dignity  of 
her  own  sex.  After  the  embarrassment,  that  had 
been  created  by  their  parting  discourse  with  Ed 
wards,  had  dissipated  itself,  the  girls  maintained  a 
conversation  that  was  as  innocent  and  cheerful  as 
themselves. 

The  path  they  had  taken  led  them  but  a  short 
distance  above  the  hut  of  Leather-stocking,  and 
there  was  a  point  in  the  road  which  commanded  a 
birds-eye  view  of  the  sequestered  spot. 

From  a  feeling,  that  might  have  been  natural, 
but  must  have  been  powerful,  neither  of  the  maid 
ens,  in  their  frequent  and  confidential  dialogues, 
had  ever  trusted  herself  to  utter  one  syllable  con 
cerning  the  equivocal  situation  in  which  the  young 
man,  who  was  now  so  intimately  associated  with 
them,  had  been  found.  If  Judge  Temple  had  deem 
ed  it  prudent  to  make  any  inquiries  on  the  subject, 


402  THE    PIONEERS. 

he  had  also  thought  it  proper  to  keep  the  answers 
to  himself;  though  it  was  so  common  an  occur 
rence  to  find  the  well-educated  youth  of  the  east 
ern  states  in  every  stage  of  their  career  to  wealth, 
that  the  simple  circumstance  of  his  intelligence, 
connected  with  his  poverty,  would  not,  at  that  day, 
and  in  that  country,  have  excited  any  very  power 
ful  curiosity.  With  his  breeding,  it  might  have 
oeen  different ;  but  the  youth  himself  had  so  ef 
fectually  guarded  against  any  surprise  on  this  sub 
ject,  by  his  cold,  and  even  in  some  cases,  rude  de 
portment,  that  when  his  manners  seemed  to  soften 
by  time,  the  Judge,  if  he  thought  about  it  at  all, 
would  have  been  most  likely  to  imagine  that  the 
improvement  was  the  result  of  his  late  association. 
But  women  are  always  more  alive  to  such  subjects 
than  men ;  and  what  the  abstraction  of  the  father 
had  overlooked,  the  observation  of  the  daughter 
had  easily  detected.  In  the  thousand  little  courte 
sies  of  polished  life,  she  had  early  discovered  that 
Edwards  was  not  wanting,  though  his  gentlenesa 
was  so  often  crossed  by  marks  of  what  she  con 
ceived  to  be  fierce  and  uncontrollable  passions.  It 
may,  perhaps,  be  unnecessary  to  tell  the  reader 
that  Louisa  Grant  never  reasoned  so  much  after 
the  fashions  of  the  world.  The  gentle  girl,  how 
ever,  had  her  own  thoughts  on  the  subject,  and, 
like  others,  she  drew  her  own  conclusions. 

"  I  would  give  all  my  other  secrets,  Louisa,"  ex 
claimed  Miss  Temple,  laughing,  and  shaking  back 
her  dark  locks,  with  a  look  of  childish  simplicity 
that  her  intelligent  face  seldom  expressed,  "  to  be 
mistress  of  all  that  those  rude  logs  have  heard  and 
witnessed." 

They  were  both  looking  at  the  secluded  hut,  at 
the  instant,  and  Miss  Grant  raised  her  mild  eyes, 
as  she  answered — 


THE   PIONEERS.  403 

"  I  am  sure  they  would  tell  nothing  to  the  dis 
advantage  of  Mr.  Edwards." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  they  might  tell  who  he  is." 

"  Why,  dear  Miss  Temple,  we  know  all  that 
already,"  returned  the  other  ;  "  I  have  heard  it  all 
very  rationally  explained  by  your  cousin — 

"  The  executive  chief!"  interrupted  Elizabeth 
— "  yes,  yes,  he  can  explain  any  thing.  His  inge 
nuity  will  one  day  discover  the  philosopher's  stone. 
But  what  did  he  say  ?" 

"  Say  !"  echoed  Louisa,  with  a  look  of  surprise  ; 
"  why  every  thing  that  seemed  to  me  to  be  satis 
factory  ;  and  I  have  believed  it  to  be  true.  He 
said  that  Natty  Bumppo  had  lived  most  of  his  life 
in  the  woods,  and  among  the  Indians,  by  which 
means  he  had  formed  an  acquaintance  with  old 
John,  the  Delaware  chief." 

"  Indeed !  that  was  quite  a  matter  of  fact  tale 
for  cousin  Dickon.  What  came  next  ?" 

"  I  believe  he  accounted  for  their  close  intimacy, 
by  some  story  about  the  Leather-stocking  saving 
the  life  of  John  in  a  battle." 

"  Nothing  more  likely,"  said  Elizabeth,  a  little 
impatiently ;  "  but  what  is  all  this  to  the  pur 
pose  ?" 

"  Nay,  Elizabeth,  you  must  bear  with  my  igno 
rance,  and  I  will  repeat  all  that  I  remember  to  have 
overheard ;  for  the  dialogue  was  between  my  fa 
ther  and  the  Sheriff,  so  lately  as  the  last  time  they 
met.  He  then  added,  that  the  kings  of  England 
used  to  keep  gentlemen  as  agents  among  the  dif 
ferent  tribes  of  Indians,  and  sometimes  officers  in 
the  army,  who  frequently  passed  half  their  lives  on 
the  edge  of  the  wilderness." 

"  Told  with  a  wonderful  historical  accuracy ! 
And  did  he  end  there  ?" 

"  Oh  !  no — then  he  said  that  these  agents  sel- 


404  THE   PIONEERS. 

dom  married  ;  and — and — they  must  have  been 
wicked  men,  Elizabeth  !  but  then  he  said — that — • 
that—" 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Miss  Temple,  blushing  and 
smiling,  though  so  slightly  that  both  were  unheed 
ed  by  her  companion — "  skip  all  that." 

"  Well,  then  he  said  that  they  often  took  great 
pride  in  the  education  of  their  children,  whom  they 
frequently  sent  to  England,  and  even  to  the  col 
leges  ;  and  this  is  the  way  that  he  accounts  for  the 
liberal  manner  in  which  Mr.  Edwards  has  been 
taught ;  for  he  acknowledges  that  he  knows  almost 
as  much  as  himself,  or  your  father — or  even  mine." 

"  Quite  a  climax  in  learning !"  cried  the  heir 
ess — "  commencing  with  the  last,  I  suppose.  And 
so  he  made  Mohegan  the  grand  uncle  or  grandfa 
ther  of  Oliver  Edwards." 

"  You  have  heard  him  yourself,  then  ?"  said 
Louisa. 

"  Often  ;  but  not  on  this  subject.  Mr.  Richard 
Jones,  you  know,  dear,  has  a  theory  for  every 
thing ;  but  has  he  one  which  will  explain  the  rea 
son  why  that  hut  is  the  only  habitation  within  fifty 
miles  of  us,  whose  door  is  not  open  to  every  per 
son  that  may  choose  to  lift  its  latch  ?" 

"  I  have  never  heard  him  say  any  thing  on  this 
subject,"  returned  the  clergyman's  daughter ;  "  but 
I  suppose  that,  as  they  are  poor,  they  very  natu 
rally  are  anxious  to  keep  the  little  that  they  ho 
nestly  own.  It  is  sometimes  dangerous  to  be  rich, 
Miss  Temple  ;  but  you  cannot  know  how  hard  it 
is  to  be  very,  very  poor." 

"  Nor  you  neither,  I  trust,  Louisa ;  at  least  I 
should  hope,  that  in  this  land  of  abundance,  no  mi 
nister  of  the  church  could  be  left  to  absolute  suf 
fering." 

"  There  cannot  be  actual  misery,"  returned  the 


THE   PIONEERS.  405 

other,  in  a  low  and  humble  tone,  "  where  there  is 
a  dependence  on  our  Maker ;  but  there  may  be 
such  suffering  as  will  cause  the  heart  to  ache." 

"  But  not  you — not  you,"  said  the  impetuous 
Elizabeth — "  not  you,  dear  girl ;  you  have  never 
known  the  misery  that  is  connected  with  poverty." 

"  Ah  !  Miss  Temple,  you  little  understand  the 
troubles  of  this  life,  I  believe.  My  father  has 
spent  many  years  as  a  missionary,  in  the  new 
countries,  where  his  people  were  poor,  and  fre 
quently  we  have  been  without  bread ;  unable  to 
buy,  and  ashamed  to  beg,  because  we  would  not 
disgrace  his  sacred  calling.  But  how  often  have  I 
seen  him  leave  his  home,  where  the  sick  and  the 
hungry  felt,  when  he  left  them,  that  they  had  lost 
their  only  earthly  friends,  to  ride  on  a  duty  which 
could  not  be  neglected  for  domestic  evils.  Oh  ' 
how  hard  it  must  be,  to  preach  consolation  to 
others,  when  your  own  heart  is  bursting  with  an 
guish  !" 

"  But  it  is  all  over  now  !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth, 
"  your  father's  income  must  now  be  equal  to  his 
wants — it  must  be — it  shall  be — " 

"  It  is,"  replied  Louisa,  dropping  her  head  on 
her  bosom  to  conceal  the  tears  which  flowed  in 
spite  of  her  gentle  Christianity,  "  for  there  are  none 
left  to  be  supplied  but  me." 

The  turn  the  conversation  had  taken  drove  from 
the  minds  of  the  young  maidens  all  other  thoughts 
but  those  of  holy  charity,  and  Elizabeth  folded  her 
friend  in  her  arms,  who  gave  vent  to  her  momenta 
ry  grief  in  audible  sobs.  When  this  burst  of  emo 
tion  had  subsided,  Louisa  raised  her  mild  counte 
nance,  and  they  continued  their  walk  in  silence. 

By  this  time  they  had  gained  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  where  they  left  the  highway,  and  pur 
sued  their  course,  under  the  shade  of  the  stately 


406  THE   PIONEERS. 

trees  that  crowned  the  eminence.  The  day  wag 
necoming  warm,  and  the  girls  plunged  more  deeply 
into  the  forest,  as  they  found  its  invigorating  cool 
ness  agreeably  contrasted  to  the  excessive  heat 
they  had  experienced  in  their  ascent.  The  con 
versation,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  was  entirely 
changed  to  the  little  incidents  and  scenes  of  their 
walk,  and  every  tall  pine,  and  every  shrub  or  flow 
er,  called  forth  some  simple  expression  of  admi 
ration. 

In  this  manner  they  proceeded  along  the  margin 
of  the  precipice,  catching  occasional  glimpses  of  the 
placid  Otsego,  or  pausing  to  listen  to  the  rattling 
of  wheels  and  the  sounds  of  hammers,  that  rose 
from  the  valley,  to  mingle  the  signs  of  men  with 
the  scenes  of  nature,  when  Elizabeth  suddenly 
started,  and  exclaimed — 

"  Listen !  there  are  the  cries  of  a  child  on  this 
mountain  !  is  there  a  clearing  near  us  ?  or  can 
some  little  one  have  strayed  from  its  parents  ?" 

"  Such  things  frequently  happen,"  returned 
Louisa.  "  Let  us  follow  the  sounds  ;  it  may  be  a 
wanderer  starving  on  the  hill." 

Urged  by  this  consideration,  the  females  pursued 
the  low,  mournful  sounds,  that  proceeded  from  the 
forest,  with  quick  and  impatient  steps.  More  than 
onCe,  the  ardent  Elizabeth  was  on  the  point  of  an 
nouncing  that  she  saw  the  sufferer,  when  Louisa 
caught  her  by  the  arm,,  and  pointing  behind  them, 
cried — 

"  Look  at  the  dog  !" 

Brave  had  been  their  companion,  from  the  time 
the  voice  of  his  young  mistress  lured  him  from  his 
kennel,  to  the  present  moment.  His  advanced  age 
had  long  before  deprived  him  of  his  activity ;  and 
when  his  companions  stopped  to  view  the  scenery, 
or  to  add  to  their  bouquets,  the  mastiff  would  lay 


THE    PIONEERS.  407 

nis  huge  frame  on  the  ground,  and  await  their  move 
ments,  with  his  eyes  closed,  and  a  listlessness  in 
his  air  that  ill  accorded  with  the  character  of  a  pro 
tector.  But  when,  aroused  by  this  cry  from  Lou 
isa,  Miss  Temple  turned,  she  saw  the  dog  with  his 
eyes  keenly  set  on  some  distant  object,  his  head 
bent  near  the  ground,  and  his  hair  actually  rising 
on  his  body,  either  through  fright  or  anger.  It  was 
most  probably  the  latter,  for  he  was  growling  in  a 
low  key,  and  occasionally  showing  his  teeth,  in  a 
manner  that  would  have  terrified  his  mistress,  had 
she  not  so  well  known  his  good  qualities. 

"  Brave  !"  she  said,  "  be  quiet,  Brave  !  what  do 
you  see,  fellow  ?" 

At  the  sounds  of  her  voice,  the  rage  of  the  mas 
tiff,  instead  of  being  at  all  diminished,  was  very 
sensibly  increased.  He  stalked  in  front  of  the  la 
dies,  and  seated  himself  at  the  feet  of  his  mistress, 
growling  louder  than  before,  and  occasionally  giv 
ing  vent  to  his  ire  by  a  short,  surly  barking. 

"  What  does  he  see  ?"  said  Elizabeth,  "  there 
must  be  some  animal  in  sight." 

Hearing  no  answer  from  her  companion,  Miss 
Temple  turned  her  head,  and  beheld  Louisa,  stand 
ing  with  her  face  whitened  to  the  colour  of  death, 
and  her  finger  pointing  upward,  with  a  sort  of  flick 
ering,  convulsed  motion.  The  quick  eye  of  Eliza 
beth  glanced  in  the  direction  indicated  by  her 
friend,  where  she  saw  the  fierce  front  and  glaring 
eyes  of  a  female  panther,  fixed  on  them  in  horrid 
malignity,  and  threatening  instant  destruction. 

"  Let  us  fly !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  grasping  the 
arm  of  Louisa,  whose  form  yielded  like  melting 
snow,  and  sunk  lifeless  to  the  earth. 

There  was  not  a  single  feeling  in  the  tempera 
ment  of  Elizabeth  Temple,  that  could  prompt  her 
to  desert  a  companion  in  such  an  extremity  ;  and 


408  THE    PIONEERS. 

she  fell  on  her  knees,  by  the  side  of  the  inanimate 
Louisa,  tearing  from  the  person  of  her  friend,  with 
an  instinctive  readiness,  such  parts  of  her  dress  as 
mi^ht  obstruct  her  respiration,  and  encouraging 
their  only  safeguard,  the  dog,  at  the  same  time,  by 
the  sounds  of  her  voice. 

"  Courage,  Brave  !"  she  cried,  her  own  tones 
beginning  to  tremble,  "  courage,  courage,  good 
Brave." 

A  quarter-grown  cub,  that  had  hitherto  been  un 
seen,  now  appeared,  dropping  from  the  branches  of 
a  sapling  that  grew  under  the  shade  of  the  beech 
which  held  its  dam.  This  ignorant,  but  vicious 
creature,  approached  the  dog,  imitating  the  actions 
and  sounds  of  its  parent,  but  exhibiting  a  strange 
mixture  of  the  playfulness  of  a  kitten  with  the  fe 
rocity  of  its  race.  Standing  on  its  hind  legs,  it 
would  rend  the  bark  of  a  tree  with  its  fore  paws, 
and  play  all  the  antics  of  a  cat,  for  a  moment ;  and 
then,  by  lashing  itself  with  its  tail,  growling,  and 
scratching  the  earth,  it  would  attempt  the  mani 
festations  of  anger  that  rendered  its  parent  so  ter 
rific. 

All  this  time  Brave  stood  firm  and  undaunted,  his 
short  tail  erect,  his  body  drawn  backward  on  its 
haunches,  and  his  eyes  following  the  movements  of 
both  dam  and  cub.  At  every  gambol  played  by  the 
latter,  it  approached  nigher  to  the  dog,  the  growl 
ing  of  the  three  becoming  more  horrid  at  each  mo 
ment,  until  the  younger  beast  overleaping  its  in 
tended  bound,  fell  directly  before  the  mastiff. 
There  was  a  moment  of  fearful  cries  and  struggles, 
but  they  ended  almost  as  soon  as  commenced,  by 
the  cub  appearing  in  the  air,  hurled  from  the  jaws 
of  Brave,  with  a  violence  that  sent  it  against  a 
tree  so  forcibly  as  to  render  it  completely  sense 
less. 


THE    F'ONEKRS.  409 

Elizabeth  witnessed  the  short  struggle,  and  her 
olood  was  warming  with  the  triumph  of  the  dog, 
when  she  saw  the  form  of  the  old  panther  in  the 
air,  springing  twenty  feet  from  the  branch  of  the 
beech  to  the  back  of  the  mastiff.  No  words  of  ours 
can  describe  the  fury  of  the  conflict  that  followed. 
tt  was  a  confused  struggle  on  the  dried  leaves,  ac 
companied  by  loud  and  terrific  cries.  Miss  Tem 
ple  continued  on  her  knees,  bending  over  the  form 
of  Louisa,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  animals,  with  an 
interest  so  horrid,  and  yet  so  intense,  that  she  al 
most  forgot  her  own  stake  in  the  result.  So  rapid 
and  vigorous  were  the  bounds  of  the  inhabitant  of 
the  forest,  that  its  active  frame  seemed  constantly 
in  the  air,  while  the  dog  nobly  faced  his  foe  at  each 
successive  leap.  When  the  panther  lighted  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  mastiff,  which  was  its  constant  aim, 
old  Brave,  though  torn  with  her  talons,  and  stained 
with  his  own  blood,  that  already  flowed  from  a 
dozen  wounds,  would  shake  off  his  furious  foe,  like 
a  feather,  and  rearing  on  his  hind  legs,  rush  to  the 
fray  again,  with  his  jaws  distended,  and  a  dauntless 
eye.  But  age,  and  his  pampered  life,  greatly  dis 
qualified  the  noble  mastiff  for  such  a  struggle.  In 
every  thing  but  courage,  he  was  only  the  vestige 
of  what  he  had  once  been.  A  higher  bound  than 
ever,  raised  the  wary  and  furious  beast  far  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  dog,  who  was  making  a  desperate 
but  fruitless  dash  at  her,  from  which  she  alighted  in 
a  favourable  position,  on  the  back  of  her  aged  foe. 
For  a  single  moment  only,  could  the  panther  remain 
there,  the  great  strength  of  the  dog  returning  with 
a  convulsive  effort.  But  Elizabeth  saw,  as  Brave 
fastened  his  teeth  in  the  side  of  his  enemy,  that  the 
collar  of  brass  around  his  neck,  which  had  been 
glittering  throughout  the  fray,  was  of  the  colour  of 
blood,  and  directly,  that  his  frame  was  sinking  to 
35 


410  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  earth,  where  it  soon  lay  prostrate  and  helpless. 
Several  mighty  efforts  of  the  wild-cat  to  extricate 
herself  from  the  jaws  of  the  dog,  followed,  but  they 
were  fruitless,  until  the  mastiff  turned  on  his  back, 
his  lips  collapsed,  and  his  teeth  loosened,  when  the 
short  convulsions  and  stillness  that  succeeded,  an 
nounced  the  death  of  poor  Brave. 

Elizabeth  now  lay  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  the 
beast.  There  is  said  to  be  something  in  the  front 
of  the  image  of  the  Maker,  that  daunts  the  hearts 
of  the  inferior  beings  of  his  creation  ;  and  it  would 
seem  that  some  such  power,  in  the  present  instance, 
suspended  the  threatened  blow.  The  eyes  of  the 
monster  and  the  kneeling  maiden  met,  for  an  in 
stant,  when  the  former  stooped  to  examine  her  fall 
en  foe  ;  next  to  scent  her  luckless  cub.  From  the 
latter  examination,  it  turned,  however,  with  its 
eyes  apparently  emitting  flashes  of  fire,  its  tail 
lashing  its  sides  furiously,  and  its  claws  projecting 
for  inches  from  her  broad  feet. 

Miss  Temple  did  not,  or  could  not  move.  Her 
hands  were  clasped  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  but 
her  eyes  were  still  drawn  to  her  terrible  enemy — 
her  cheeks  were  blanched  to  the  whiteness  of  mar 
ble,  and  her  lips  were  slightly  separated  with  hor 
ror.  The  moment  seemed  now  to  have  arrived  for 
the  fatal  termination,  and  the  beautiful  figure  of 
Elizabeth  was  bowing  meekly  to  the  stroke,  when 
a  rustling  of  leaves  from  behind  seemed  rather  to 
mock  the  organs,  than  to  meet  her  ears. 

"  Hist !  hist !"  said  a  low  voice — "  steep  lower, 
«al ;  your  bonnet  hides  the  creater's  head." 

It  was  rather  the  yielding  of  nature  than  a  com 
pliance  with  this  unexpected  order,  that  caused  the 
head  of  our  heroine  to  sink  on  her  bosom  ;  when 
she  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle,  the  whizzing  of  the 
bullet,  and  the  enraged  cries  of  the  beast,  who  was 


THE    PIONEERS.  411 

rolling  over  on  the  earth,  biting  its  own  flesh,  and 
tearing  the  twigs  and  branches  within  its  reach. 
At  the  next  instant  the  form  of  the  Leather-stock 
ing  rushed  by  her,  and  he  called  aloud — 

"  Come  in,  Hector,  come  in,  you  old  fool ;  'tie 
a  hard  lived  animal,  and  may  jump  ag'in." 

Natty  maintained  his  position  in  front  of  the 
maidens,  most  fearlessly,  notwithstanding  the  vio 
lent  bounds  and  threatening  aspect  of  the  wounded 
panther,  which  gave  several  indications  of  return 
ing  strength  and  ferocity,  until  his  rifle  was  again 
loaded,  when  he  stepped  up  to  the  enraged  animal, 
and  placing  the  muzzle  close  to  its  head,  every 
spark  of  life  was  extinguished  by  the  discharge. 

The  death  of  her  terrible  enemy  appeared  to 
Elizabeth  like  a  resurrection  from  her  own  grave. 
There  was  an  elasticity  in  the  mind  of  our  heroine, 
that  rose  to  meet  the  pressure  of  instant  danger, 
and  the  more  direct  to  the  senses  her  apprehen 
sions  came,  the  more  her  nature  had  struggled  to 
overcome  them.  But  still  she  was  woman.  Had 
she  been  left  to  herself,  in  her  late  extremity,  she 
would  probably  have  used  her  faculties  to  the  ut 
most,  and  with  discretion,  in  protecting  her  per 
son,  but  encumbered  with  her  inanimate  friend, 
retreat  was  a  thing  not  to  be  attempted. — Notwith 
standing  the  fearful  aspect  of  her  foe,  the  eye  of 
Elizabeth  had  never  shrunk  from  its  gaze,  and 
long  after  the  event,  her  thoughts  would  recur  to 
her  passing  sensations,  and  the  sweetness  of  her 
midnight  sleep  would  be  disturbed,  as  her  active 
fancy  conjured  in  dreams,  the  most  trifling  move 
ments  of  savage  fury,  that  the  beast  had  exhibited 
in  its  moment  of  power. 

We  shall  leave  the  reader  to  imagine  the  resto- 
ration  of  Louisa's  senses,  and  the  expressions  of 
gratitude  which  fell  from  the  young  women.  The 


412  THE    PIONEEHS. 

former  was  effected  by  a  little  water,  that  was 
brought  from  one  of  the  thousand  springs  of  those 
mountains,  in  the  cap  of  the  Leather-stocking ;  and 
the  latter  were  uttered  with  all  the  warmth  that 
might  be  expected  from  the  character  of  Elizabeth. 
Natty  received  her  vehement  protestations  of  gra 
titude,  with  a  simple  expression  of  good-will,  and 
with  indulgence  for  her  present  excitement,  but 
with  a  carelessness  that  showed  how  little  he 
thought  of  the  service  he  had  rendered. 

"  Well,  well,"  he  said,  "  be  it  so,  gal ;  let  it  be 
so,  if  you  wish  it — we'll  talk  the  thing  over  an 
other  time  ;  but  I'm  sore  afeard  you'll  find  Mr.  Oli 
ver  a  better  companion  than  an  old  hunter,  like 
me.  Come,  come — let  us  get  into  the  road,  for 
you've  had  tirror  enough  to  make  you  wish  your 
self  in  your  father's  house  ag'in." 

This  was  uttered  as  they  were  proceeding,  at  a 
pace  that  was  adapted  to  the  weakness  of  Louisa, 
towards  the  highway  :  on  reaching  which  the  la 
dies  separated  from  their  guide,  declaring  them 
selves  equal  to  the  remainder  of  their  walk  without 
his  assistance,  and  feeling  encouraged  by  the  sight 
of  the  village,  which  lay  beneath  their  feet,  like  a 
picture,  with  its  limpid  lake  in  front,  the  winding 
stream  along  its  margin,  and  its  hundred  chimneys 
of  whitened  bricks. 

The  reader  need  not  be  told  the  nature  of  the 
emotions  which  two  youthful,  ingenuous,  and  well- 
educated  girls  would  experience  at  their  escape 
from  a  death  so  horrid  as  the  one  which  had  im 
pended  over  them,  while  they  pursued  their  way 
in  silence  along  the  track  on  the  side  of  the  moun 
tain  ;  nor  how  deep  were  their  mental  thanks  to 
that  power  which  had  given  them  their  existence, 
and  which  had  not  deserted  them  in  their  extremi- 
ty ;  neither  how  often  they  pressed  each  other's 


THE    PIONEERS.  413 

arms,  as  the  assurance  of  their  present  safety  came, 
like  a  healing  balm,  athwart  their  troubled  spirits, 
when  their  thoughts  were  recurring  to  the  recent 
moments  of  horror. 

Leather-stocking  remained  on  the  hill,  gazing 
after  their  retiring  figures,  until  they  were  hid  by 
a  bend  in  the  road,  when  he  whistled  in  his  dogs, 
and  shouldering  his  rifle,  he  returned  into  the 
forest. 

"  Well,  it  was  a  skeary  thing  to  the  young  crea- 
ters,"  said  Natty,  while  he  retrod  the  path  towards 
the  slain.  "  It  might  frighten  an  older  woman,  to 
see  a  she  painter  so  near  her,  with  a  dead  cub  by 
its  side.  I  wonder  if  I  had  aimed  at  the  varmint's 
eye,  if  I  shouldn't  have  touched  the  life  sooner  than 
in  the  forehead  ?  but  they  are  hard-lived  animals, 
and  it  was  a  good  shot,  consid'ring  that  I  could  see 
nothing  but  the  head  and  peak  of  its  tail.  Hah  ! 
who  goes  there  ?" 

"  How  goes  it,  Natty?"  said  Mr.  Doolittle,  step 
ping  out  of  the  bushes,  with  a  motion  that  was  a 
good  deal  accelerated  by  the  sight  of  the  rifle,  that 
was  already  lowered  in  his  direction.  "  What ' 
shooting  this  warm  day !  mind,  old  man,  the  law 
don't  get  hold  on  you." 

u  The  law,  Squire  !  I  have  shook  hands  with 
the  law  these  forty  year,"  returned  Natty ;  "  for 
what  has  a  man  who  lives  in  the  wilderness  to  do 
with  the  ways  of  the  law  ?" 

"  Not  much,  maybe,"  said  Hiram ;  "  but  you 
sometimes  trade  in  venison.  I  s'pose  you  know, 
Leather-stocking,  that  there  is  an  act  passed  to  lay 
a  fine  of  five  pounds  currency,  or  twelve  dollars 
and  fifty  cents,  by  decimals,  on  every  man  who 
kills  a  leer  betwixt  January  and  August.  The 
Judge  had  a  great  hand  in  getting  the  law  through." 

"  I  can  believe  it,"  returned  the  old  hunter  ;  "  I 
35* 


4l-l  THE    PIONEERS. 

can  believe  that  or  any  thing,  of  a  man  who  carries 
on  as  he  does  in  the  country." 

"  Yes,  the  law  is  quite  positive,  and  the  Judge  is 
bent  on  putting  it  in  force — five  pounds  penalty. 
I  thought  I  heerd  your  hounds  out  on  the  scent  of 
so'thing  this  morning :  I  didn't  know  but  they 
might  get  you  in  difficulty." 

"  They  know  their  manners  too  well,"  said 
Natty,  carelessly.  "  And  how  much  goes  to  the 
state's  evidence,  Squire  ?" 

"  How  much  !"  repeated  Hiram,  quailing  under 
the  honest  but  sharp  look  of  the  hunter — "  the  in 
former  gets  half,  I — I  b'lieve  ; — yes,  I  guess  it's 
half.  But  there's  blood  on  your  sleeve,  man — you 
haven't  been  shooting  any  thing  this  morning  ?" 

"  I  have,  though,"  said  the  hunter,  nodding  his 
head  significantly  to  the  other,  "  and  a  good  shot  I 
made  of  it." 

"  H-e-m  !"  ejaculated  the  magistrate;  "and 
where  is  the  game  ?  I  s'pose  it's  of  a  good  nater, 
for  your  dogs  won't  hunt  at  any  thing  that  isn't 
choish." 

"  They'll  hunt  any  thing  I  tell  them  to,  Squire," 
cried  Natty,  favouring  the  other  with  his  laugh. 
"They'll  hunt  you,  if  I  say  so.  He-e-e-re, 
he-e-e-re,  Hector — he-e-e-re,  slut — come  this 
a-way,  pups — come  this  a-way — come  hither." 

"  Oh !  I've  always  heern  a  good  character  of  the 
dogs,"  returned  Mr.  Doolittle,  quickening  his  pace 
by  raising  each  leg  in  rapid  succession,  as  the 
hounds  scented  around  his  person.  "  And  where 
is  the  game,  Leather-stocking  ?" 

During  this  dialogue,  the  speakers  had  been 
walking  at  a  very  fast  gait,  and  Natty  swung  the 
end  of  his  rifle  round,  pointing  through  the  bushes, 
and  replied — 

"  There  lays  one.  How  do  you  like  such  meat  ?" 


THE   PIONEERS.  415 

**  This  !"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "  why  this  is  Judge 
Temple's  dog  Brave.  Take  kear,  Leather-stock 
ing,  and  don't  make  an  inimy  of  the  Judge.  I  hope 
you  haven't  banned  the  animal  ?" 

"  Look  for  yourself,  Mr.  Doolittle,"  said  Natty, 
drawing  his  knife  from  his  girdle,  and  wiping  it,  in 
a  knowing  manner,  once  or  twice  across  his  gar 
ment  of  buckskin ;  "  does  his  throat  look  as  if  I 
had  cut  it  with  this  knife  ?" 

"  It  is  dreadfully  tore  !  it's  an  awful  wownd — 
no  knife  never  did  this  deed.  Who  could  have 
done  it  ?" 

"  That  painter  behind  you,  Squire — look,  there's 
two  of  them." 

"  Painters !"  echoed  Hiram,  whirling  on  his 
heel,  with  an  agility  that  would  have  done  credit 
to  a  dancing  master  ;  "  where's  a  painter  ?" 

"  Be  easy,  man,"  said  Natty  ;  "  there's  two  of 
the  vinimous  things;  but  the  dog  finished  one, 
and  I  have  fastened  the  other's  jaws  for  her ;  so 
you  needn't  look  so  skeared,  Squire ;  they  won't 
hurt  you." 

"  And  where's  the  deer?"  cried  Hiram,  staring 
about  him  with  a  bewildered  air. 

"  Anan !  deer !"  repeated  Natty. 

"  Sartain,  an't  there  ven'son  here,  or  didn't  you 
kill  a  buck  ?" 

"  What!  when  the  law  forbids  the  thing, 
Squire  !"  said  the  old  hunter.  "  I  hope  there's  no 
law  ag'in  killing  the  painters." 

"  No  ;  there's  a  bounty  on  the  scalps — but — will 
your  dogs  hunt  painters,  Natty  ?" 

"  Any  thing ;  didn't  I  tell  you  they'd  hunt  a 
man  ?  He-e-re,  he-e-re,  pups" — 

"  Oh  !  yes,  yes,  I  remember.  Well,  they  are 
strange  dogs,  I  must  say — I  am  quite  in  a  wonder 
ment." 


416  THE    PIONEERS. 

Natty  had  seated  himself  on  the  ground,  and 
having  laid  the  grim  head  of  his  late  ferocious  ene 
my  in  his  lap,  was  drawing  his  knife  with  a  prac 
tised  hand  around  the  ears,  which  he  tore  from 
the  head  of  the  beast  in  such  a  manner  as  to  pre 
serve  their  connexion,  when  he  answered — 

"  What  at,  Squire  ?  did  you  never  see  a  pain 
ter's  scalp  afore  ?  Come,  you  be  a  magistrate,  I 
wish  you'd  make  me  out  an  order  for  the  bounty." 

"  The  bounty !"  repeated  Hiram,  holding  the 
ears  on  the  end  of  his  finger,  for  a  moment,  as  if 
uncertain  how  to  proceed.  "Well,  let  us  go 
down  to  your  hut,  where  you  can  take  the  oath, 
and  I  will  write  out  the  order.  I  s'pose  you 
have  a  bible  ?  all  the  law  wants  is  the  four  Evan 
gelists  and  the  Lord's  prayer." 

"  I  rather  guess  not,"  said  Natty,  a  little  coldly  • 
"  not  such  a  bible  as  the  law  needs." 

"  Oh  !  there's  but  one  sort  of  bible,  at  least  that's 
good  in  law,"  returned  the  magistrate ;  "  and  yourn 
will  do  as  well  as  another's.  Come,  the  carcasses 
are  worth  nothing,  man ;  let  us  go  down  and  take 
the  oath." 

"  Softly,  softly,  Squire,"  said  the  hunter,  lifting 
his  trophies  very  deliberately  from  the  ground,  and 
shouldering  his  rifle  ;  "  why  do  you  want  an  oath 
at  all,  for  a  thing  that  your  own  eyes  has  seen  ? 
won't  you  believe"  yourself,  that  another  man  must 
swear  to  a  fact  that  you  know  to  be  true  ?  You 
seen  me  scalp  the  creaters,  and  if  I  must  swear  to 
it,  it  shall  be  before  Judge  Temple,  who  needs  an 
oath." 

"  But  we  have  no  pen  or  paper  here,  Leather- 
stocking  ;  we  must  go  to  the  hut  for  them,  or  how 
can  I  write  the  order  ?" 

Natty  turned  his  simple  features  on  the  cunning 
magistrate  with  another  of  his  laughs,  as  he  said — • 


THE   PIONEERS.  417 

*e  And  what  should  I  be  doing  with  such  scholars' 
tools  ?  I  want  no  pens  or  paper,  not  knowing  the 
use  of  'ither ;  and  so  I  keep  none.  No,  no,  I'll 
bring  the  scalps  into  the  village,  Squire,  and  you 
can  make  out  the  order  on  one  of  your  law-books, 
and  it  will  be  all  the  better  for  it.  The  deuse  take 
this  leather  on  the  neck  of  the  dog,  it  will  strangle 
the  old  fool.  Can  you  lend  me  a  knife,  Squire  ?" 

Hiram,  who  seemed  particularly  anxious  to  be 
on  good  terms  with  his  companion,  unhesitatingly 
complied.  Natty  cut  the  thong  from  the  neck  of 
the  hound,  and,  as  he  returned  the  knife  to  its 
owner,  carelessly  remarked — 

a  'Tis  a  good  bit  of  steel,  and  has  cut  such  lea 
ther  as  this  very  same  before  now,  I  dare  say." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  charge  me  with  letting  your 
hounds  loose  ?"  exclaimed  Hiram,  with  a  conscious 
ness  that  disarmed  his  caution. 

"  Loose  !"  repeated  the  hunter — "  I  let  them 
loose  myself.  I  always  let  them  loose  before  I 
leave  the  hut." 

The  ungovernable  amazement  with  which  Mr. 
Doolittle  listened  to  this  falsehood,  would  have  be 
trayed  his  agency  in  the  liberation  of  the  dogs,  had 
Natty  wanted  any  further  confirmation  ;  and  the 
coolness  and  management  of  the  old  man  now  dis 
appeared  in  open  indignation. 

"  Look  you  here,  Mr.  Doolittle,"  he  said,  strik 
ing  the  breech  of  his  rifle  violently  on  the  ground ; 
"  what  there  is  in  the  wigwam  of  a  poor  man  like 
me,  that  one  like  you  can  crave,  I  don't  know  ;  but 
this  I  tell  you  to  your  face,  that  you  never  shall 
put  a  foot  under  the  roof  of  my  cabin  with  my  con 
sent,  and  that  if  you  harbour  round  the  spot  as  you 
have  done  lately,  you  may  meet  with  treatment 
that  you  won't  over  and  above  relish." 


418  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  And  let  me  tell  you,  Mr.  Bumppo,"  said  Hi 
ram,  retreating,  however,  with  a  quick  step,  "  that 
I  know  you've  broke  the  law,  and  that  I'm  a  ma 
gistrate,  and  will  make  you  feel  it  too,  before  you 
are  a  day  older." 

"  That  for  you  and  your  law  too,"  cried  Natty, 
snapping  his  fingers  at  the  justice  of  the  peace — 
"  away  with  you,  you  varmint,  before  the  divil 
tempts  me  to  give  you  your  desarts.  Take  kear, 
if  I  ever  catch  your  prowling  face  in  the  woods 
ag'in,  that  I  don't  shoot  it  for  an  owl  " 

There  is  something  at  all  times  commanding  in 
honest  indignation,  and  Hiram  did  not  stay  to  pro 
voke  the  wrath  of  the  old  Hunter  to  extremities. 
When  the  intruder  was  out  of  sight,  Natty  pro 
ceeded  to  the  hut,  where  he  found  all  quiet  as  the 
grave.  He  fastened  his  dogs,  and  tapping  at  the 
door,  which  was  opened  by  Edwards,  asked — 

"  Is  all  safe,  lad !" 

"  Every  thing,"  returned  the  youth.  "  Some 
one  attempted  the  lock,  but  it  was  too  strong  for 
him." 

"  I  know  the  creater,"  said  Natty,  "  but  he'll 
not  trust  himself  within  reach  of  my  rifle  ag'in 

very  soon,  for  I'll "  What  more  was  uttered  by 

the  Leather-stocking,  in  his  vexation,  was  render 
ed  inaudible  by  the  closing  of  the  door  of  the  ca 
bin. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

44  It  li  noised  he  hath  a  ma«s  of  treasure." 

Timon  of  Athens 

WHEN  Marmaduke  Temple  and  his  cousin  rode 
through  the  gate  of  the  former,  the  heart  of  the  fa 
ther  had  been  too  recently  touched  with  the  best 
feeling  of  our  nature,  to  leave  inclination  for  imme 
diate  discourse.  There  was  an  importance  in  the 
air  of  Richard,  which  would  not  have  admitted  of 
the  ordinary  informal  conversation  of  the  Sheriff, 
without  violating  all  the  rules  of  consistency ;  and 
the  equestrians  pursued  their  way  with  great  dili 
gence,  for  more  than  a  mile,  in  profound  silence. 
At  length  the  soft  expression  of  parental  care, 
blended  with  affection,  was  slowly  chased  from  the 
handsome  features  of  the  Judge,  and  was  gradually 
supplanted  by  the  cast  of  humour  and  benevolence 
that  wTas  usually  seated  on  his  brow. 

"  Well,  Dickon,"  he  said,  "  since  I  have  yielded 
myself,  so  far,  implicitly  to  your  guidance,  I  think 
the  moment  has  arrived,  when  I  am  entitled  to  fur 
ther  confidence.  Why  and  wherefore  are  we  jour- 
xieying  together  in  this  solemn  gait  ?" 

The  Sheriff  gave  a  loud  hem,  that  rung  far  in  the 
forest,  which  they  had  now  entered,  and  keeping 
his  eyes  fixed  on  objects  before  him,  like  a  man 


420  THE    PIONEERS. 

who  is  looking  deep  into  futurity,  he  replied  as 
follows  : — 

"  There  has  always  been  one  point  of  difference 
between  us,  Judge  Temple,  I  may  say,  since  our 
nativity ;  not  that  I  would  insinuate  that  you  are 
at  all  answerable  for  the  acts  of  nature  ;  for  a  man 
is  no  more  to  be  condemned  for  the  misfortunes  of 
his  birth,  than  he  is  to  be  commended  for  the  natu 
ral  advantages  he  may  possess ;  but  on  one  point 
we  may  be  said  to  have  differed  from  our  births, 
and  they,  you  know,  occurred  within  two  days  of 
each  other." 

"  I  really  marvel,  Richard,  what  this  one  point 
can  be  ;  for,  to  my  eyes,  we  seem  to  differ  so  ma 
terially,  and  so  often — " 

"  Mere  consequences,  sir,"  interrupted  the  She 
riff;  "  all  our  minor  differences  proceed  from  one 
cause,  and  that  is,  our  opinions  of  the  universal  at 
tainments  of  genius." 

"  In  what,  Dickon  !"  exclaimed  the  Judge. 

"  I  speak  plain  English,  I  believe,  Judge  Tem 
ple  ;  at  least  I  ought ;  for  my  father,  who  taught 
me,  could  speak — " 

"  Greek  and  Latin,"  interrupted  Marmaduke — • 
"  I  well  know  the  qualifications  of  your  family  in 
tongues,  Dickon.  .  But  proceed  to  the  point ;  why 
are  we  travelling  over  this  mountain  to-day  ?" 

"  To  do  justice  to  any  subject,  sir,  the  narrator 
must  be  suffered  to  proceed  in  his  own  way,"  con 
tinued  the  Sheriff.  "  You  are  of  opinion,  Judge 
Temple,  that  a  man  is  to  be  qualified  by  nature  and 
education  to  do  only  one  thing  well,  whereas  I 
know  that  genius  will  supply  the  place  of  learning, 
and  that  a  certain  sort  of  man  can  do  any  thing  and 
every  thing." 

"  Like  yourself,  I  suppose,"  said  Marmaduke, 
smiling. 


THE    PIONEERS.  421 

"  I  scorn  personalities,  sir,"  returned  the  She 
riff;  "  I  say  nothing  of  myself;  but  there  are  three 
men  on  your  patent,  of  the  kind  that  I  should  teim 
talented  by  nature  for  her  general  purposes,  though 
acting  under  the  influence  of  different  situations." 

"  We  are  better  off,  then,  than  I  had  supposed," 
said  Marmaduke.  "  Who  are  they  ?" 

"  W~hy,  sir,  one  is  Hiram  Doolittle  ;  he  is  a  car 
penter  by  trade,  as  you  know,  and  I  need  only 
point  to  the  village  to  exhibit  his  merits.  Then 
he  is  a  magistrate,  and  might  shame  many  a  man, 
in  his  distribution  of  justice,  who  has  had  better 
opportunities  than  himself." 

"  Well,  he  is  one,"  said  Marmaduke,  with  the 
air  of  a  man  that  was  determined  not  to  dispute  the 
point. 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  Jotham  Riddel  is  another." 

"  Who  !"  exclaimed  the  Judge. 

"  Jotham  Riddel." 

"  What,  that  dissatisfied,  shiftless,  lazy,  specu 
lating  fellow  !  he  who  changes  his  county  every 
three  years,  his  farm  every  six  months,  and  his  oc 
cupation  every  season  !  an  agriculturist  yesterday, 
a  shoemaker  to-day,  and  a  schoolmaster  to-mor 
row  !  that  epitome  of  all  the  unsteady  and  profit 
less  propensities  of  the  settlers  without  one  of  their 
good  qualities  to  counterbalance  the  evil !  Nay, 

Richard,  this  is  too  bad  for  even but  who  is  the 

third  ?» 

"  As  the  third  is  not  used  to  hearing  such  com 
ments  on  his  character,  Judge  Temple,  I  shall  not 
name  him,"  said  the  indignant  Sheriff. 

"  The  amount  of  all  this,  then,  Dickon,  is,  that 
the  trio,  of  which  you  are  one,  and  the  principal, 
have  made  some  important  discovery." 

"  I  have  not  said  that  I  am  one,  Judge  Temple. 
As  I  told  you  before,  I  say  nothing  of  myself.  But 
36 


422  THE   PIONEERS. 

a  discovery  has  been  made,  and  you  are  deeply  in 
terested  in  it." 

"  Proceed — I  am  all  ears." 

"  No,  no,  'duke,  you  are  bad  enough,  I  own,  but 
not  so  bad  as  that  either ;  your  ears  are  not  quite 
full  grown." 

The  Sheriff  laughed  heartily  at  his  own  wit,  and 
put  himself  in  good  humour  thereby,  when  he 
gratified  his  patient  cousin  with  the  following  ex 
planation  : — 

"  You  know,  'duke,  that  there  is  a  man  living  on 
your  estate  that  goes  by  the  name  of  Natty  Bump- 
po.  Here  has  this  man  lived,  by  what  I  can  learn, 
for  more  than  forty  years — by  himself,  until  lately ; 
and  now  with  strange  companions." 

"  Part  very  true,  and  all  very  probable,"  said 
the  Judge. 

"  All  true,  sir  ;  all  true.  Well,  within  these 
last  few  months  have  appeared  as  his  companions; 
an  old  Indian  chief,  the  last,  or  one  of  the  last  of 
his  tribe  that  is  to  be  found  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  a  young  man,  who  is  said  to  be  the 
son  of  some  Indian  agent,  by  a  squaw." 

"  Who  says  that  ?"  cried  Marmaduke,  with  an 
interest  that  he  had  not  manifested  before. 

"  Who  !  why  common  sense — common  report. 
But  listen  till  you  know  all.  This  youth  has  very 
pretty  talents — yes,  what  I  call  very  pretty  talents 
— and  has  been  well  educated,  has  seen  very  tole 
rable  company,  and  knows  how  to  behave  himself, 
when  he  has  a  mind  to.  Now,  Judge  Temple,  can 
you  tell  me  what  has  brought  three  such  men  as 
Indian  John,  Natty  Bumppo,  and  Oliver  Edwards, 
together  ?" 

Marmaduke  turned  his  countenance,  in  evident 
surprise,  to  his  cousin,  and  replied  quickly — 

'  Thou  hast  unexpectedly  hit  on  a  subject,  Ri- 


THE    PIONEERS.  423 

chard,  that  has  often  occupied  my  mind.  But 
knowest  thou  any  thing  of  this  mystery,  or  are 
they  only  the  crude  conjectures  of — " 

"  Crude  nothing,  'duke,  crude  nothing ;  but  facts, 
stubborn  facts.  You  know  there  are  mines  in  these 
mountains ;  I  have  often  heard  you  say  that  you 
believed  in  their  existence" 

"  Reasoning  from  analogy,  Richard,  but  not  with 
any  certainty  of  the  fact." 

"  You  have  heard  them  mentioned,  and  have  seen 
specimens  of  the  ore,  sir ;  you  will  not  deny  that ! 
and,  reasoning  from  analogy,  as  you  say,  if  there  be 
mines  in  South  America,  ought  there  not  to  be 
mines  in  North  America  too  ?" 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  deny  nothing,  my  cousin.  I  cer 
tainly  have  heard  many  rumours  of  the  existence 
of  mines  in  those  hills ;  and  I  do  believe  that  I  have 
seen  specimens  of  the  precious  metals  that  have 
been  found  here.  It  would  occasion  me  no  surprise 
to  learn  that  tin  and  silver,  or  what  I  consider  of 
more  consequence,  good  coal," 

"  Damn  your  coal,  sir,"  cried  the  Sheriff;  "  who 
wants  to  find  coal  in  these  forests  ?  No,  no,  silver, 
'duke  ;  silver  is  the  one  thing  needful,  and  silver  is 
to  be  found.  But  listen :  you  are  not  to  be  told 
that  the  natives  have  long  known  the  use  of  gold 
and  silver ;  now  who  so  likely  to  be  acquainted 
where  they  are  to  be  found,  as  the  ancient  inhabit 
ants  of  a  country  ?  I  have  the  best  reasons  for  be 
lieving  that  both  Mohegan  and  the  Leather-stock 
ing  have  been  privy  to  the  existence  of  a  mine  in 
this  very  mountain,  for  many  years." 

The  Sheriff  had  now  touched  his  cousin  in  a  sen 
sitive  spot ;  and  Marmaduke  lent  a  more  attentive 
ear  tc  the  speaker,  who,  after  waiting  a  moment, 
to  see  the  effect  of  this  extraordinary  develope- 
mentj  proceeded — 


424  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  have  my  reasons,  and  at  a  proper 
lime  you  shall  know  them." 

"  No  time  is  so  good  as  the  present,"  exclaimed 
Marmaduke. 

"  Well,  well,  be  attentive,"  continued  Richard, 
looking  cautiously  about  him,  to  make  certain  that 
no  eavesdropper  was  hid  in  the  forest,  though  they 
were  in  constant  motion.  "  I  have  seen  Mohegan 
and  the  Leather-stocking,  with  my  own  eyes — and 
my  eyes  are  as  good  as  any  body's  eyes — I  have 
seen  them,  I  say,  both  going  up  the  mountain  and 
coming  down  it,  with  spades  and  picks ;  and  others 
have  seen  them  carrying  things  into  their  hut,  in  a 
secret  and  mysterious  manner,  after  dark.  Do  you 
know  what  they  could  be  ?" 

The  Judge  did  not  reply,  but  his  brow  had  con 
tracted,  with  a  thoughtfulness  that  ho  always  wore 
when  much  interested,  and  his  eyes  rested  on  his 
cousin  in  expectation  of  hearing  mere.  Richard 
continued — 

"  It  was  ore.  Now,  sir,  I  ask  if  you  can  tell  me 
who  this  Mr.  Oliver  Edwards  is,  that  has  made  a 
part  of  your  household  since  last  Christmas  ?" 

Marmaduke  again  raised  his  eyes,  but  continued 
silent,  shaking  his  head  in  the  negative. 

"  That  he  is  a  half-breed  we  know,  for  Mohegan 
does  not  scruple  to  call  him,  openly,  his  kinsman  ; 
that  he  is  well  educated  we  know.  But  as  to  his 
business  here — do  you  remember  that  about  a 
month  before  this  young  man  made  his  appearance 
among  us,  Natty  was  absent  from  home  several 
days  ?  You  do  ;  for  you  inquired  for  him,  as  you 
wanted  some  venison  to  take  to  your  friends,  when 
you  went  for  Bess.  Well,  he  was  not  to  be  found. 
Old  John  was  left  in  the  hut  alone  ;  and  when 
Natty  did  appear,  although  he  came  on  in  the  night, 
he  was  seen  drawing  one  of  those  jumpers  that  they 


THE    PIONEERS.  125 

carry  their  grain  to  mill  in,  and  to  take  out  some 
thing,  with  great  care,  that  he  had  covered  up  un 
der  his  bear-skins.  Now  let  me  ask  you,  Judge 
Temple,  what  motive  could  induce  a  man  like  the 
Leather-stocking  to  make  a  sled,  and  toil  W7ith  a 
load  over  these  mountains,  if  he  had  nothing  but 
his  rifle  or  his  ammunition  to  carry  ?" 

"  They  frequently  make  these  jumpers  to  con 
vey  their  game  home,  and  you  say  he  had  been  ab 
sent  many  days." 

"  How  did  he  kill  it  ?  His  rifle  was  in  the  village, 
to  be  mended.  No,  no — that  he  was  gone  to  some 
unusual  place  is  certain  ;  that  he  brought  back 
some  secret  utensils  is  also  certain  ;  and  since  then 
he  has  not  allowed  a  soul  to  approach  his  hut." 

"  He  was  never  fond  of  intruders" 

"  I  know  it,"  interrupted  Richard  ;  "  but  did  he 
drive  them  from  his  cabin  morosely  ?  Within  a 
fortnight  of  his  return,  this  Mr.  Edwards  appears. 
They  spent  whole  days  in  the  mountains,  pretend 
ing  to  be  shooting,  but  in  reality  exploring ;  the 
frosts  prevented  their  digging  at  that  time,  and  he 
availed  himself  of  a  lucky  accident  to  get  into  good 
quarters.  But  even  now,  he  is  quite  half  of  his 
time  in  that  hut — many  hours  in  each  night.  They 
are  smelting,  'duke,  they  are  smelting,  and  as  they 
grow  rich,  you  grow  poor." 

"  How  much  of  this  is  thine  own,  Richard,  and 
how  much  comes  from  others  ?  I  would  sift  the 
wheat  from  the  chaff." 

."  Part  is  my  own,  for  I  saw  the  jumper,  though 
it  was  broken  up  and  burnt  in  a  day  or  two.  I 
have  told  you  that  I  saw  the  old  man  with  his 
spades  and  picks.  Hiram  met  Natty,  as  he  was 
crossing  the  mountain,  the  night  of  his  arrival  with 
the  sled,  and  very  good-naturedly  offered — Hiram 
is  good-natured  -to  carry  up  part  of  his  load,  for 
36* 


426  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  old  man  had  a  heavy  pull  up  the  back  of  the 
mountain,  but  he  wouldn't  listen  to  the  thing,  and 
repulsed  the  offer  in  such  a  manner  that  the  Squire 
said  he  had  half  a  mind  to  swear  the  peace  against 
him.  Since  the  snow  has  been  off,  more  especial 
ly  after  the  frosts  got  out  of  the  ground,  we  have 
kept  a  watchful  eye  on  the  gentlemen,  in  which  we 
have  found  Jotham  very  useful." 

Marmaduke  did  not  much  like  the  associates  of 
Richard  in  this  business ;  still  he  knew  them  to  be 
cunning  and  ready  in  expedients  ;  and  as  there  was 
certainly  something  mysterious,  not  only  in  the 
connexion  between  the  old  hunters  and  Edwards, 
but  in  what  his  cousin  had  just  related,  he  began 
to  revolve  the  subject  in  his  own  mind  with  more 
care.  On  reflection,  he  remembered  various  cir 
cumstances  that  tended  to  corroborate  these  sus 
picions,  and,  as  the  whole  business  favoured  one 
of  his  infirmities,  he  yielded  the  more  readily  to 
their  impression.  The  mind  of  Judge  Temple,  at 
all  times  comprehensive,  had  received,  from  his 
peculiar  occupations,  a  bias  to  look  far  into  futurity, 
in  speculations  on  the  improvements  that  posterity 
were  to  make  in  his  lands.  To  his  eye,  where 
others  saw  nothing  but  a  wilderness,  towns,  manu 
factories,  bridges,  canals,  mines,  and  all  the  other 
resources  of  an  old  country,  were  constantly  pre 
senting  themselves,  though  his  good  sense  sup 
pressed,  in  some  degree,  the  exhibition  of  these 
expectations. 

As  the  Sheriff  allowed  his  cousin  full  time  to  re 
flect  on  what  he  had  heard,  the  probability  of  some 
pecuniary  adventure  being  the  connecting  link  in 
the  chain  that  brought  Oliver  Edwards  into  the 
cabin  of  Leather- stocking,  appeared  to  him  each 
moment  to  be  stronger.  But  Marmaduke  was  too 
much  in  the  habit  of  examining  both  sides  of  a  sub- 


THE   PIONEERS.  427 

ject,  not  to  perceive  the  objections,  and  reasoned 
with  himself  aloud  : — 

"  It  cannot  be  so,  or  the  youth  would  not  be 
driven  so  near  the  verge  of  poverty." 

"  What  so  likely  to  make  a  man  dig  for  money, 
as  being  poor  ?"  cried  the  Sheriff. 

"  Besides,  there  is  an  elevation  of  character  about 
Oliver,  that  proceeds  from  education,  which  would 
forbid  so  clandestine  a  proceeding." 

"  Could  an  ignorant  fellow  smelt  ?"  continued 
Richard. 

"  Then  Bess  hints  that  he  was  reduced  to  his 
last  shilling,  when  we  took  him  into  our  dwell 
ing." 

"  He  had  been  buying  tools.  And  would  he 
spend  his  last  sixpence  for  a  shot  at  a  Turkey,  had 
he  not  known  where  to  get  more." 

"  Can  I  have  possibly  been  so  long  a  dupe  !  His 
manner  has  been  rude  to  me  at  times ;  but  I  attri 
buted  it  to  his  conceiving  himself  injured,  and  to 
his  mistaking  the  forms  of  the  world." 

"  Haven't  you  been  a  dupe  all  your  life,  'duke  ? 
and  an't  what  you  call  ignorance  of  forms  deep 
cunning,  to  conceal  his  real  character  ?" 

"  If  he  were  bent  on  deception,  he  would  have 
concealed  his  knowledge,  and  passed  with  us  for 
an  inferior  man." 

"  He  cannot.  I  could  no  more  pass  for  a  fool, 
myself,  than  I  could  fly.  Knowledge  is  not  to  be 
concealed,  like  a  candle  under  a  bushel." 

"  Richard,"  said  the  Judge,  turning  to  his  cousin, 
"  there  are  many  reasons  against  the  truth  of  thy 
conjectures ;  but  thou  hast  awakened  suspicions 
which  must  be  satisfied.  But  why  are  we  travel 
ling  here  ?" 

"  Jotham,  who  has  been  much  in  the  mountain 
Latterly,  being  kept  there  by  me  and  Hiram,  has 


428  THE   PIONEERS. 

made  a  discovery,  which  he  will  not  explain,  he 
says,  for  he  is  bound  by  an  oath  ;  but  the  amount 
is,  that  he  knows  where  the  ore  lies,  and  he  has 
this  day  begun  to  dig.  I  would  not  consent  to  the 
thing,  'duke,  without  your  knowledge,  for  the  land 
is  yours ;  and  now  you  know  the  reason  of  our 
ride.  Don't  you  call  this  a  countermine  for  their 
mine,  ha  !" 

"  And  where  is  the  desirable  spot  ?"  asked  the 
Judge,  with  an  air  half  comical,  half  serious. 

"  Close  by ;  and  when  we  have  visited  that,  I 
will  show  you  one  of  the  places  that  we  have  found 
within  a  week,  where  our  gentlemen  hunters  have 
been  amusing  themselves  for  six  months  past." 

The  gentlemen  continued  to  discuss  the  matter, 
while  their  horses  picked  their  way  under  the 
branches  of  trees,  and  over  the  uneven  ground  of 
the  mountain.  They  soon  arrived  at  the  end  of 
their  journey,  where,  in  truth,  they  found  Jotham 
already  buried  to  his  neck  in  a  hole  that  he  had 
been  digging. 

Marmaduke  questioned  the  miner  very  closely, 
as  to  his  reasons  for  believing  in  the  existence  of 
the  precious  metals  near  that  particular  spot ;  but 
the  fellow  maintained  an  obstinate  mystery  in  his 
answers.  He  asserted  that  he  had  the  best  of 
reasons  for  what  he  did,  and  inquired  of  the  Judge 
what  portion  of  the  profits  would  fall  to  his  own 
share,  in  the  event  of  success,  with  an  earnestness 
that  proved  his  faith.  After  spending  an  hour  near 
the  place,  examining  the  stones,  and  searching  for 
the  usual  indications  of  the  proximity  of  ore,  the 
Judge  remounted,  and  suffered  his  cousin  to  lead 
the  way  to  the  place  where  the  mysterious  trio 
had  been  making  their  excavation. 

The  spot  chosen  by  Jotham  was  on  the  back  of 
the  mountain  that  overhung  the  hut  of  Leather- 


THE    PIONEERS.  429 

stocking,  and  the  place  selected  by  Natty  and  his 
companions  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  same  hill, 
but  above  the  road,  and,  of  course,  in  an  opposite 
direction  to  the  route  taken  by  the  ladies  in  their 
walk. 

"We  shall  be  safe  in  approaching  the  place 
now,"  said  Richard,  while  they  dismounted  and 
fastened  their  horses ;  "  for  I  took  a  look  with  the 
glass,  and  saw  John  and  Leather-stocking  in  their 
canoe  fishing,  before  we  left  home,  and  Oliver  is 
in  the  same  pursuit ;  but  these  may  be  nothing  but 
shams,  to  blind  our  eyes,  so  we  will  be  expedi 
tious,  for  it  would  not  be  pleasant  to  be  caught 
here  by  theml" 

"  Not  on  my  own  land  !"  said  Marmaduke  stern 
ly.  "  If  it  be  as  you  suspect,  I  will  know  their 
reasons  for  making  this  excavation." 

"  Mum,"  said  Richard,  laying  his  finger  on  his 
lip,  and  leading  the  way  down  a  very  difficult  de 
scent  to  a  sort  of  natural  cavern,  which  was  form 
ed  in  the  face  of  the  rock,  and  not  unlike  a  fire 
place  in  shape.  In  front  of  this  place  lay  a  pile  of 
earth,  which  had  evidently  been  taken  from  the 
recess,  and  part  of  which  was  yet  fresh.  An  exa 
mination  of  the  exterior  of  the  cavern  left  the 
Judge  in  doubt  whether  it  was  one  of  nature's  fro 
lics  that  had  thrown  it  into  that  shape,  or  whether 
it  had  been  wrought  by  the  hands  of  man,  at  some 
earlier  period.  But  there  could  be  no  doubt  that 
the  whole  of  the  interior  was  of  recent  formation, 
and  the  marks  of  the  pick  were  still  visible,  where 
the  soft,  lead-coloured  rock  had  opposed  itself  to 
the  progress  of  the  miners.  The  whole  formed  an 
excavation  of  about  twenty  feet  in  width,  and 
nearly  twice  that  distance  in  depth.  The  height 
was  much  greater  than  was  required  for  the  ordi- 


430  THE    PIONEERS. 

nary  purposes  of  experiment;  but  this  was  evi 
dently  the  effect  of  chance,  as  the  roof  of  the  ca 
vern  was  a  natural  stratum  of  rock,  that  projected 
many  feet  beyond  the  base  of  the  pile.  Immedi 
ately  in  front  of  the  recess,  or  cave,  was  a  little  ter 
race,  partly  formed  by  nature,  and  partly  by  the 
earth  that  had  been  carelessly  thrown  aside  by  the 
labourers.  The  mountain  fell  off  precipitately  in 
front  of  the  terrace,  and  the  approach  by  its  sides 
under  the  ridge  of  the  rocks,  was  difficult  and  a 
little  dangerous.  The  whole  was  wild,  rude,  and 
apparently  incomplete :  for,  while  looking  among 
the  bushes,  the  Sheriff  found  the  very  implements 
that  had  been  used  in  the  work. 

When  the  Sheriff  thought  that  his  cousin  had 
examined  the  spot  sufficiently,  he  cried — 

"  Well,  Judge  Temple,  are  you  satisfied  ?" 

"  Perfectly  that  there  is  something  mysterious, 
and  to  me  perplexing  in  this  business.  It  is  a  se 
cret  spot,  and  cunningly  devised,  Richard ;  yet  I 
see  no  symptoms  of  ore." 

"  Do  you  expect,  sir,  to  find  gold  and  silver  lying 
like  pebbles  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  ? — dollars 
and  dimes  ready  coined  to  your  hands !  No,  no — 
the  treasure  must  be  sought  after  to  be  won.  But 
let  them  mine  ;  I  shall  countermine." 

The  Judge  took  an  accurate  survey  of  the  place, 
and  noted  in  his  memorandum-book  such  marks  as 
were  necessary  to  find  it  again,  in  the  event  of 
Richard's  absence ;  when  the  cousins  returned  to 
their  horses. 

On  reaching  the  highway  they  separated,  the 
Sheriff  to  summon  twenty-four  "  good  men  and 
true,"  to  attend  as  the  inquest  of  the  county,  on 
the  succeeding  Monday,  when  Marmaduke  held  his 
stated  court  of  "  common  pleas  and  general  sessions 


THE    PIONEERS.  431 

of  the  peace,"  and  the  Judge  to  return,  musing 
deeply  on  what  he  had  seen  and  heard  in  the 
course  of  the  morning. 

When  the  horse  of  the  latter  reached  the  spot 
where  the  highway  fell  towards  the  valley,  the 
eye  of  Marmaduke  rested,  it  is  true,  on  the  same 
scene  that  had,  ten  minutes  before,  been  so  sooth 
ing  to  the  feelings  of  his  daughter  and  her  friend,  as 
they  emerged  from  the  forest ;  but  it  rested  in  va 
cancy.  He  threw  the  reins  to  his  sure-footed 
beast,  and  suffered  the  animal  to  travel  at  its  own 
gait,  while  he  soliloquized  as  follows  : — 

"  There  may  be  more  in  this  than  I  at  first  sup 
posed.  I  have  suffered  my  feeling  to  blind  my 
reason,  in  admitting  an  unknown  youth  in  this 
manner  to  my  dwelling  ; — yet  this  is  not  the  land 
of  suspicion.  I  will  have  the  Leather-stocking  be 
fore  me,  and,  by  a  few  direct  questions,  extract 
the  truth  from  the  simple  old  man." — 

At  that  instant  the  Judge  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  figures  of  Elizabeth  and  Louisa,  who  were 
slowly  descending  the  mountain,  but  a  short  dis 
tance  before  him.  He  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and 
riding  up  to  them,  dismounted,  and  drove  his  steed 
along  the  narrow  path.  While  the  agitated  parent 
was  listening  to  the  vivid  description  that  his 
daughter  gave  of  her  recent  danger,  and  her  unex 
pected  escape,  all  thoughts  of  mines,  vested  rights, 
and  examinations,  were  absorbed  in  his  emotions  ; 
and  when  the  image  of  Natty  again  crossed  his  re 
collection,  it  was  not  as  a  lawless  and  depredating 
squatter,  but  as  the  preserver  of  his  child. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


1  The  court  awards  it,  and  the  law  doth  give  it." 

Merchant  of  Feniee. 


REMARKABLE  PETTIBONE,  who  had  forgotten 
the  wound  received  by  her  pride,  in  the  contem 
plation  of  the  ease  and  comforts  of  her  situation, 
and  who  still  retained  her  station  in  the  family  of 
Judge  Temple,  was  despatched  to  the  humble 
dwelling  which  Richard  styled  u  the  Rectory,"  in 
attendance  on  Louisa,  who  was  soon  consigned  to 
the  arms  of  her  father. 

In  the  mean  time,  Marmaduke  and  his  daughter 
were  closeted  for  more  than  an  hour,  nor  shall  we 
invade  the  sanctuary  of  parental  love,  by  relating 
the  conversation  for  that  period.  At  its  expiration, 
when  the  curtain  rises  on  the  reader,  the  Judge  is 
seen  walking  up  and  down  the  apartment,  with  a 
tender  melancholy  in  his  air,  softening  the  manly 
expression  of  his  features,  and  his  child  reclining 
on  a  settee,  with  a  flushed  cheek,  and  her  dark 
eyes  seeming  to  float  in  crystals. 

"  It  was  a  timely  rescue  !  it  was,  indeed,  a  time 
ly  rescue,  my  child  !"  cried  the  Judge.  "  Then 
thou  didst  not  desert  thy  friend,  my  noble  Bess  ?" 

"  I  believe  I  may  as  well  take  the  credit  of  forti 
tude,"  said  Elizabeth,  "  though  I  much  doubt  if 


THE    PIONEERS.  433 

flight  would  have  availed  me  any  thing,  had  I  even 
courage  to  execute  such  an  intention.  But  I 
thought  not  of  the  expedient." 

"  Of  what  didst  thou  think,  love  ?  where  did  thy 
thoughts  dwell  most,  at  that  fearful  moment  ?" 

"  The  beast !  the  beast !"  cried  Elizabeth,  veil 
ing  her  face  with  her  fair  hand ;  "  Oh  !  I  saw  no 
thing,  I  thought  of  nothing,  but  the  beast.  I  tried 
to  think  of  better  things,  but  the  horror  was  too 
glaring,  the  danger  too  much  before  my  eyes." 

"  Well,  well,  thou  art  safe,  and  we  will  con 
verse  no  more  on  the  unpleasant  subject.  I  did 
not  think  such  an  animal  yet  remained  in  our  fo 
rests ;  but  they  will  stray  far  from  their  haunts 
when  pressed  by  hunger,  and" — 

\  loud  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  apartment 
interrupted  what  he  was  about  to  utter,  and  he  bid 
the  applicant  enter.  The  door  was  opened  by 
Benjamin,  who  came  in  with  a  discontented  air,  as 
if  he  felt  that  he  had  a  communication  to  make  that 
would  be  out  of  season. 

"  Here  is  Squire  Doolittle  below,  sir,"  com 
menced  the  Major-domo.  "  He  has  been  standing 
off  and  on  in  the  door-yard,  maybe  for  the  matter  of 
a  glass  ;  and  he  has  sum'mat  on  his  mind  that  he 
wants  to  heave  up,  d'ye  see  j  but  I  tells  him,  says 
I,  man,  would  you  be  coming  aboard  with  your 
complaints,  said  I,  when  the  Judge  has  gotten  his 
own  child,  as  it  were,  out  of  the  jaws  of  a  lion  ? 
But  damn  the  bit  of  manners  has  the  fellow  any 
more  than  if  he  was  one  of  them  Guineas,  down  in 
the  kitchen  there  ;  and  so  as  he  was  shearing  along 
side,  every  stretch  he  made  towards  the  house,  I 
could  do  no  better  than  to  let  your  honour  know 
that  the  chap  was  in  the  offing." 

"•  He  must  have  business  of  importance,"  said 
37 


434 


THE    PIONEERS. 


Marmaduke  ;  "  something  in  relation  to  his  office, 
most  probably,  as  the  court  sits  so  shortly." 

"  Ay,  ay,  you  have  it,  sir,"  cried  Benjamin, 
"  it's  sum'mat  about  a  complaint  that  he  has  to 
make  of  the  old  Leather-stocking,  who,  to  my  judg 
ment,  is  the  better  man  of  the  two.  It's  a  very 
good  sort  of  a  man  is  this  Master  Bumppo,  and  he 
has  a  way  with  a  spear,  all  the  same  as  if  he  was 
brought  up  at  the  bow  oar  of  the  captain's  barge, 
or  was  born  with  a  boat-hook  in  his  hand." 

"  Against  the  Leather-stocking !"  cried  Eliza 
beth,  rising  from  her  reclining  posture. 

"  Rest  easy,  my  child,"  said  the  Judge,  smiling, 
"  it  is  some  trifle,  I  pledge  you ;  I  believe  I  am  al 
ready  acquainted  with  its  import.  Trust  me,  Bess, 
your  champion  shall  be  safe  in  my  care. — Show 
Mr.  Doolittle  in,  Benjamin." 

Miss  Temple  appeared  satisfied  with  this  assu 
rance,  but  fastened  her  dark  eyes  on  the  person  of 
the  architect,  who  profited  by  the  permission,  and 
instantly  made  his  appearance. 

All  the  impatience  of  Hiram  seemed  to  vanish 
the  instant  he  entered  the  apartment.  After  sa 
luting  the  Judge  and  his  daughter,  he  took  the 
chair  to  which  Marmaduke  pointed,  and  sat  for  a 
minute,  composing  his  straight  black  hair,  with  a 
gravity  in  his  demeanour  that  was  intended  to  do 
honour  to  his  official  station.  At  length  he  said — 

"  It's  likely,  from  what  I  hear,  that  Miss  Tem 
ple  had  a  pretty  narrow  chance  with  the  painters, 
on  the  mountain." 

Marmaduke  made  a  gentle  inclination  of  his  head, 
by  way  of  assent,  but  continued  silent. 

"  I  s'pose  the  law  gives  a  bounty  on  the  scalps,'' 
continued  Hiram,  "  in  which  case  the  Leather 
stocking  will  make  a  good  job  on't." 


THE   PIONEERS.  435 

"  It  shall  be  my  care,  sir,  to  see  that  he  is  re 
warded,"  returned  the  Judge.. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  rather  guess  that  nobody  here 
abouts  doubts  the  Judge's  generosity.  Doos  he 
know  whether  the  Sheriff  has  fairly  made  up  his 
mind  to  have  a  reading-desk  or  a  deacon's  pew  un 
der  the  pulpit  ?" 

"  I  have  not  heard  my  cousin  speak  on  that  sub 
ject  lately,"  replied  Marmaduke. 

"  I  think  it's  likely  that  we  will  have  a  pretty 
dull  court  on't,  from  what  I  can  gather.  I  hear 
that  Jotham  Riddel  and  the  man  who  bought  his 
betterments,  have  agreen  to  leave  their  difference 
to  men,  and  I  don't  think  there'll  be  more  than  two 
civil  cases  in  the  calendar." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said  the  Judge  ;  "  nothing  gives 
me  more  pain  than  to  see  my  settlers  wasting  their 
time  and  substance  in  the  unprofitable  struggles  of 
the  law.  I  hope  it  may  prove  true,  sir." 

"  I  rather  guess  'twill  be  left  out  to  men,"  added 
Hiram,  with  an  air  equally  balanced  between  doubt 
and  assurance,  but  which  Judge  Temple  under 
stood  to  mean  certainty  ;  "  I  some  think  that  I  am 
appointed  a  referee  in  the  case  myself ;  Jotham  as 
much  as  told  me  that  he  should  take  me.  The  de 
fendant,  I  guess,  means  to  take  Captain  Hollister, 
and  we  two  have  partly  agreen  on  Squire  Jones 
for  the  third  man." 

"  Are  there  any  criminals  to  be  tried  ?"  asked 
Marmaduke. 

"  There's  the  counterfeiters,"  returned  the  ma 
gistrate  ;  "  as  they  were  caught  in  the  fact,  I  think 
it  likely  that  they'll  be  indicted,  in  which  case,  it's 
probable  they  will  be  tried." 

"  Certainly,  sir ;  I  had  forgotten  these  men. 
There  are  no  more  I  hope." 

"'  Why,  there  is  a  threaten  to  come  forrad  with 


436 


THE    PIONEERS 


an  assault,  that  happened  at  the  last  independence 
day ;  but  I'm  not  sartain  that  the  law'll  take  hold 
on't.  There  was  plaguey  hard  words  passed,  but 
whether  they  struck  or  not  I  haven't  heern. — 
There's  some  folks  talk  of  a  deer  or  two  being 
killed  out  of  season,  over  on  the  west  side  of  the 
patent,  by  some  of  the  squatters  on  the  '  Frac 
tions.'  " 

"  Let  a  complaint  be  made,  by  all  means,"  cried 
the  Judge  ;  "  I  am  determined  to  see  the  law  exe 
cuted  to  the  letter,  on  all  such  depredators." 

"  Why,  yes,  I  thought  the  Judge  was  of  that 
mind  ;  I  come  partly  on  such  a  business  myself." 

"  You  !"  exclaimed  Marmaduke,  comprehending 
in  an  instant,  how  completely  he  had  been  caught 
by  the  other's  cunning ;  "  and  what  have  you  to 
say,  sir  ?" 

"  I  some  think  that  Natty  Bumppo  has  the  car 
cass  of  a  deer  in  his  hut  at  this  moment,  and  a  con 
siderable  part  of  my  business  was  to  get  a  sarch- 
warrant  to  examine." 

"  You  think,  sir  !  do  you  know  that  the  law  ex 
acts  an  oath,  before  I  can  issue  such  a  precept. 
The  habitation  of  a  citizen  is  not  to  be  idly  invaded 
on  light  suspicion." 

"  I  rather  think  I  can  swear  to  it  myself,"  re 
turned  the  immovable  Hiram  ;  "  and  Jotham  is  in 
the  street,  and  as  good  as  ready  to  come  in  and 
make  oath  to  the  same  thing." 

"  Then  issue  the  warrant  thyself;  thou  art  a 
magistrate,  Mr.  Doolittle  ;  why  trouble  me  with 
the  matter  ?" 

"  Why,  seeing  it's  the  first  complaint  under  the 
law,  and  knowing  the  Judge  set  his  heart  on  the 
thing,  I  thought  it  best  that  the  authority  to  sarch 
should  come  from  himself.  Besides,  as  I'm  much 
in  the  woods,  among  the  timber,  I  don't  altogether 


THE    PIONEERS.  437 

like  making  an  enemy  of  the  Leather-stocking. 
Now  the  Judge  has  a  weight  in  the  county  that 
puts  him  above  all  fear." 

Miss  Temple  turned  her  beautiful  face  to  the  cal 
lous  architect,  with  a  scornful  smile,  as  she  said — 

"  And  what  has  any  honest  person  to  dread  from 
so  kind  a  man  as  poor  Bumppo  ?" 

"  Why,  it's  as  easy,  Miss,  to  pull  a  rifle-trigger 
on  a  magistrate  as  on  a  painter.  But  if  the  Judge 
don't  conclude  to  issoo  the  warrant,  I  must  go  home 
and  make  it  out  myself." 

"  I  have  not  refused  your  application,  sir,"  said 
Marmaduke,  perceiving  at  once  that  his  reputation 
for  impartiality  was  at  stake  ;  "  go  into  my  office, 
Mr.  Doolittle,  where  I  will  join  you,  and  sign  the 
warrant." 

Judge  Temple  stopped  the  remonstrances  which 
Elizabeth  was  about  to  utter,  after  Hiram  had  with 
drawn,  by  laying  his  hand  playfully  on  her  mouth, 
and  saying — 

"  It  is  more  terrific  in  sound  than  frightful  in  re 
ality,  my  child.  I  suppose  that  the  Leather-stock 
ing  has  shot  a  deer,  for  the  season  is  nearly  over, 
and  you  say  that  he  was  hunting  with  his  dogs, 
when  he  came  so  timely  to  your  assistance.  But 
it  will  be  only  to  examine  his  cabin,  and  find  the 
animal,  when  you  can  pay  the  penalty  out  of  youi 
own  pocket,  Bess.  Nothing  short  of  the  twelve 
dollars  and  a  half  will  satisfy  this  harpy,  I  perceive  ; 
and  surely  my  reputation  as  a  Judge  is  worth  that 
trifle." 

Elizabeth  was  a  good  deal  pacified  with  this  as 
surance,  and  suffered  her  father  to  leave  her,  to 
fulfil  his  promise  to  Hiram. 

When  Marmaduke  left  his  office,  after  executing 
his  disagreeable  duty,  he   met  Oliver  Edwards, 
walking  up  the  gravelled  walk  in  front  of  the  Man- 
37* 


438  THE    PIONEERS. 

sion-house,  with  great  strides,  and  with  a  face  agi- 
tated  by  some  powerful  passion.  On  seeing  Judge 
Temple,  the  youth  turned  aside,  and  with  a  warmth 
in  his  manner  that  was  not  often  exhibited  to  Mar- 
maduke,  he  cried — 

"  I  congratulate  you,  sir ;  from  the  bottom  of 
my  soul  I  congratulate  you,  Judge  Temple.  Oh  ! 
it  would  have  been  too  horrid  to  have  recollected 
for  a  moment !  I  have  just  left  the  hut,  where,  after 
showing  me  his  scalps,  old  Natty  told  me  of  the 
escape  of  the  ladies,  as  a  thing  to  be  mentioned 
last.  Indeed,  indeed,  sir,  no  words  of  mine  can 
express  half  of  what  I  have  felt" — the  youth  paused 
a  moment  as  if  suddenly  recollecting  that  he  was 
overstepping  prescribed  limits,  and  concluded  with 
a  good  deal  of  embarrassment — "  what  I  have  felt 
at  this  danger  to  Miss — Grant,  and — and  your 
daughter,  sir." 

But  the  heart  of  Marmaduke  was  too  much  soft 
ened  by  his  recent  emotions,  to  admit  of  his  cavil 
ling  at  trifles,  and  without  regarding  the  confusion 
of  the  other,  he  replied — 

"  I  thank  thee,  thank  thee,  Oliver ;  as  thou  say- 
est,  it  is  almost  too  horrid  to  be  remembered.  But 
come,  let  us  hasten  to  Bess,  for  Louisa  has  already 
gone  to  the  Rectory." 

"  The  young  man  sprung  forward,  and  throwing 
open  a  door,  barely  permitted  the  Judge  to  precede 
him,  when  he  was  in  the  presence  of  Elizabeth  in 
a  moment. 

The  cold  distance  that  often  crossed  the  de 
meanour  of  the  heiress,  in  her  intercourse  with  Ed 
wards,  was  now  entirely  banished,  and  two  hours 
were  passed  by  the  party,  in  the  free  unembar 
rassed,  and  confiding  manner  of  old  and  esteemed 
friends.  Judge  Temple  had  forgotten  the  suspi 
cions  engendered  during  his  morning's  ride,  and 


THE    PIONEERS.  439 

the  youth  and  maiden  conversed,  laughed,  and 
were  sad  by  turns,  as  if  directed  by  a  common  im 
pulse.  At  length  Edwards,  after  repeating  his  in 
tention  to  do  so  for  the  third  time,  left  the  Man 
sion-house,  to  go  to  the  Rectory  on  a  similar  er 
rand  of  friendship. 

During  this  short  period,  a  scene  was  passing  at 
the  hut,  that  completely  frustrated  the  benevolent 
intentions  of  Judge  Temple  in  favour  of  the  Lea 
ther-stocking,  and  at  once  destroyed  the  short 
lived  harmony  between  the  youth  and  Marmaduke. 

When  Hiram  Doolittle  had  obtained  his  search- 
warrant,  his  first  business  was  to  procure  a  proper 
officer  to  see  it  executed.  The  sheriff  was  absent, 
summoning,  in  person,  the  grand  inquest  for  the 
Bounty ;  the  deputy,  who  resided  in  the  village, 
was  riding  on  the  same  errand,  in  a  different  part 
of  the  settlement ;  and  the  regular  constable  of  the 
township  had  been  selected  for  his  station  from 
motives  of  charity,  being  lame  of  one  leg,  and  an 
invalid.  Hiram  intended  to  accompany  the  officer 
as  a  spectator,  but  felt  no  very  strong  desire  to 
bear  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  It  was,  however, 
Saturday,  and  the  sun  was  already  turning  the 
shadows  of  the  pines  towards  the  east ;  on  the  mor 
row  the  conscientious  magistrate  could  not  engage 
in  such  an  expedition  at  the  peril  of  his  soul ;  and 
long  before  Monday,  the  venison,  and  all  vestiges 
of  the  death  of  the  deer,  might  be  secreted  or  de 
stroyed.  Happily  the  lounging  form  of  Billy  Kirby 
met  his  eye,  and  Hiram,  at  all  times  fruitful  in  si 
milar  expedients,  saw  his  way  clear  at  once.  Jo- 
tham,  who  was  associated  in  the  whole  business, 
and  who  had  left  the  mountain  in  consequence  of  a 
summons  from  his  coadjutor,  lut  who  failed,  equally 
'with  Hiram,  in  the  unfortunate  particular  of  nerve, 


440  THE    PIONEERS. 

was  directed  to  summon  the  wood  chopper  to  the 
dwelling  of  the  magistrate. 

When  Billy  appeared,  he  was  very  kindly  invited 
to  take  the  chair  in  which  he  had  already  seated 
himself,  and  was  treated,  in  all  respects,  as  if  he 
were  an  equal. 

"  Judge  Temple  has  set  his  heart  on  putting  the 
deer  law  in  force,"  said  Hiram,  after  the  prelimi 
nary  civilities  were  over,  "  and  a  complaint  has 
been  laid  before  him  that  a  deer  has  been  killed. 
He  has  issooed  a  sarch-warrant,  and  sent  for  me  to 
get  somebody  to  execute  it." 

Kirby,  who  had  no  idea  of  being  excluded  from 
the  deliberative  part  of  any  affair  in  which  he  was 
engaged,  drew  up  his  bushy  head  in  a  reflecting 
attitude,  and,  after  musing  a  moment,  replied  by 
asking  a  few  questions. 

"  The  Sheriff  is  gone  out  of  the  way  ?" 

"  Not  to  be  found." 

"  And  his  deputy  too  ?7: 

"  Both  gone  on  the  skirts  of  the  patent." 

"  But  I  seen  the  constable  hobbling  about  town 
an  hour  ago." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Hiram,  with  a  coaxing  smile 
and  knowing  nod,  "  but  this  business  wants  a  man 
— not  a  cripple." 

"  Why,"  said  Billy,  laughing,  "  will  the  chap 
make  fight  ?" 

"  He's  a  little  quarrelsome  at  times,  and  thinks 
he's  the  best  man  in  the  county  at  rough  and 
tumble." 

"  I  heerd  him  brag  once,'  said  Jotham,  "  that 
there  wasn't  a  man  'twixt  the  Mohawk  Flats  and 
the  Pennsylvany  line,  that  was  his  match  at  a  close 
hug." 

"  Did  you  !"  exclaimed  Kirby,  raising  his  huge 


THE    PIONEERS.  441 

frame  in  his  seat,  like  a  lion  stretching  in  his  lair, 
"  I  rather  guess  he  never  felt  a  Varmounter's  to 
knuckles  on  his  back-bone.  But  who  is  the  chap  ?" 

"  Why,"  said  Jotham,  "  it's—" 

"  It's  ag'in  law  to  tell,"  interrupted  Hiram,  "  un 
less  you'll  qualify  to  sarve.  You'd  be  the  very 
man  to  take  him,  Bill ;  and  I'll  make  out  a  spicial 
deputation  in  a  minute,  when  you  will  get  the 
fees." 

"  What's  the  fees?"  said  Kirby,  laying  his  large 
hand  on  the  leaves  of  a  statute-book,  that  Hiram 
had  opened  in  order  to  give  dignity  to  his  office, 
which  he  turned  over,  in  his  rough  manner,  as  if 
he  were  reflecting  on  a  subject,  about  which  he 
had,  in  truth,  already  decided ;  "  will  they  pay  a 
man  for  a  broken  head  ?" 

"  They'll  be  something  handsome,"  said  Hi- 
sam. 

"  Damn  the  fees,"  said  Billy,  again  laughing — 
"  doos  the  fellow  think  he's  the  best  wrestler  in 
the  county,  though  ?  what's  his  inches  ?" 

"  He's  taller  than  you  be,"  said  Jotham,  "  and 
one  of  the  biggest — " 

Talkers,  he  was  about  to  add,  but  the  impatience 
of  Kirby  interrupted  him.  The  wood-chopper  had 
nothing  fierce,  or  even  brutal  in  his  appearance ; 
the  character  of  his  expression  was  that  of  good- 
natured  vanity.  It  was  evident  he  prided  himself 
on  the  powers  of  the  physical  man,  like  all  who 
have  nothing  better  to  boast  of;  and,  stretching 
out  his  broad  hand,  with  the  palm  downward,  he 
said,  keeping  his  eyes  fastened  on  his  own  bones 
and  sinews — 

"  Come,  give  us  a  touch  of  the  book.  I'll  swear, 
and  you'll  see  that  I'm  a  man  to  keep  my  oath." 

Hiram  did  not  give  the  wood-chopper  time  to 
change  his  mind,  but  the  oath  was  administered 


442 


THE    PIONEERS. 


without  any  unnecessary  delay.  So  soon  as  this 
preliminary  was  completed,  the  three  worthies  left 
the  house,  and  proceeded  by  the  nearest  road  to 
wards  the  hut.  They  had  reached  the  bank  of  the 
lake,  and  were  diverging  from  the  route  of  the 
highway,  before  Kirby  recollected  that  he  was  now 
entitled  to  the  privileges  of  the  initiated,  and  re 
peated  his  question,  as  to  the  name  of  the  of 
fender. 

"  Which  way,  which  way,  Squire  ?"  exclaimed 
the  hardy  wood-chopper  ;  "  I  thought  it  was  to 
sarch  a  house  that  you  wanted  me,  not  the  woods. 
There  is  nobody  lives  on  this  side  of  the  lake,  for 
six  miles,  unless  you  count  the  Leather-stocking 
and  old  John  for  settlers.  Come,  tell  me  the  chap's 
name,  and  I  warrant  me  that  I  lead  you  to  his 
clearing  by  a  straighter  path  than  this,  for  I  know 
every  sapling  that  grows  within  two  miles  of  Tem- 
pletown." 

"  This  is  the  way,"  said  Hiram,  pointing  for 
ward,  and  quickening  his  step,  as  if  apprehensive 
that  Kirby  would  desert,  "and  Bumppo  is  the 
man." 

Kirby  stopped  short,  and  looked  from  one  of  his 
companions  to  the  other  in  astonishment.  He  then 
burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  and  cried — 

"  Who  ?  Leather-stocking  !  he  may  brag  of  his 
aim  and  his  rifle,  for  he  has  the  best  of  both,  as  I 
will  own  myself,  for  'sin  he  shot  the  pigeon  I  knock 
under  to  him  ;  but  for  a  wrestle  !  why,  I  would 
take  the  divil  between  my  finger  and  thumb,  and 
tie  him  in  a  bow-knot  around  my  neck  for  a  Bar- 
celony.  Why,  Jotham,  you  could  take  him  down 
yourself,  as  you'd  take  down  a  two  years'  pine  with 
an  axe.  The  man  is  seventy,  and  was  never  any 
thing  particular  for  strength." 

**  He's  a  deceiving  man,"  said  Hiram,  u  like  all 


THE    PIONEERS.  443 

Che  hunters  ;  he  is  stronger  than  he  seems  ; — be 
sides,  he  has  his  rifle." 

"  That  for  his  rifle  !"  cried  Billy,  "  he'd  no  more 
hurt  me  with  his  rifle  than  he'd  fly  He  is  a  harm 
less  creater,  and  I  must  say  that  I  think  he  has  as 
good  right  to  kill  deer  as  any  man  on  the  patent. 
It's  his  main  support,  and  this  is  a  free  country, 
where  a  man  is  privileged  to  follow  any  calling  he 
likes." 

"  According  to  that  doctrine,"  said  Jotham,  "  any 
body  may  shoot  a  deer." 

"  This  is  the  man's  calling,  I  tell  you,"  returned 
Kirby,  "  and  the  law  was  never  made  for  such  as 
him." 

"  The  law  was  made  for  all,"  observed  Hiram, 
who  began  to  think  that  the  danger  was  likely  to 
fall  to  his  own  share,  notwithstanding  his  manage 
ment  ;  "  and  the  law  is  particular  in  noticing  par- 
jury." 

"  See  here,  Squire  Doolittle,"  said  the  reckless 
wood-chopper,  "  I  don't  kear  the  valie  of  a  beetle- 
ring  for  you  and  your  parjury  too.  But  as  I  have 
come  so  far,  I'll  go  down  and  have  a  talk  with  the 
old  man,  and  maybe  we'll  fry  a  steak  of  the  deer 
together." 

"  Well,  if  you  can  get  in  peaceably,  so  much  the 
better,"  said  the  magistrate.  "  To  my  notion,  strife 
is  very  unpopular ;  I  prefar,  at  all  times,  clever 
conduct  to  an  ugly  temper." 

"  As  the  whole  party  moved  at  a  great  pace, 
th*y  soon  reached  the  hut,  where  Hiram  thought 
it  prudent  to  halt  on  the  outside  of  the  top  of  the 
fallen  pine,  which  formed  a  chevaux-de-fnze,  to 
defend  the  approach  to  the  fortress,  on  the  side 
next  to  the  village.  The  delay  was  but  little  re 
lished  by  Kirby,  who  clapped  his  hands  to  his 
mouth,  and  gave  a  loud  halloo,  that  brought  the 


444  THE    PIONEERS. 

dogs  out  of  their  kennel,  and,  almost  at  the  same 
instant,  the  scantily  covered  head  of  Natty  also 
from  the  door. 

"  Lie  down,  you  old  fool,"  cried  the  hunter ; 
"  do  you  think  there's  more  painters  about  you." 

"  Ha  !  Leather-stocking,  I've  an  arrand  with 
you,"  cried  Kirby  ;  "  here's  the  good  people  of  the 
state  have  been  writing  you  a  small  letter,  and 
they've  hired  me  to  ride  post." 

"  What  would  you  have  with  me,  Billy  Kirby  ?" 
said  Natty,  stepping  across  his  threshold,  and  rais 
ing  his  hand  over  his  eyes  to  screen  them  from  the 
rays  of  the  setting  sun,  while  he  took  a  survey  of 
his  visiter.  "  I've  no  land  to  clear ;  and  heaven 
knows  I  would  set  out  six  trees  afore  I  would  cut 
down  one.  Down,  Hector,  I  say,  into  your  ken 
nel  with  ye." 

"  Would  you,  old  boy  ?"  roared  Billy ;  "  then  so 
much  the  better  for  me.  But  I  must  do  my  arrand. 
Here's  a  letter  for  you,  Leather-stocking.  If  you 
can  read  it  it's  all  well,  and  if  you  can't,  here's 
Squire  Doolittle  at  hand,  to  let  you  know  what  it 
means.  It  seems  you  mistook  the  twentieth  of  Ju 
ly  for  the  first  of  August,  that's  all." 

By  this  time  Natty  had  discovered  the  lank  per 
son  of  Hiram,  drawn  up  under  the  cover  of  a  high 
stump  ;  and  all  that  was  complacent  in  his  manner 
instantly  gave  way  to  marked  distrust  and  dissatis 
faction.  He  placed  his  head  within  the  door  of  his 
hut,  and  said  a  few  words  in  an  under  tone,  when 
he  again  appeared,  and  continued — 

"  I've  nothing  for  ye  ;  so  away,  afore  the  evil 
one  tempts  me  to  do  you  harm.  I  owe  you  no 
spite,  Billy  Kirby,  and  what  for  should  you  trouble 
an  old  man,  who  has  done  you  no  harm  ?" 

Kirby  advanced  through  the  top  of  the  pine,  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  hunter,  where  he  seated 


THE    PIONEERS.  445 

himself  on  the  end  of  a  log  with  great  composure, 
and  began  to  examine  the  nose  of  Hector,  with 
whom  he  was  familiar,  from  their  frequently  meet 
ing  in  the  woods,  where  he  sometimes  fed  the  dog 
from  his  own  basket  of  provisions. 

"  You've  outshot  me,  and  Fm  not  ashamed  to 
say  it,"  said  the  wood-chopper,  "  but  I  don't  owe 
you  a  grudge  for  that,  Natty  !  though  it  seems  that 
you've  shot  once  too  often,  for  the  story  goes  that 
you've  killed  a  buck." 

"  I've  fired  but  twice  to-day,  and  both  times  at 
the  painters,"  returned  the  Leather-stocking ; 
"  see  !  here's  the  scalps  !  I  was  just  going  in  with 
them  to  the  Judge's  to  ask  the  bounty." 

While  Natty  was  speaking,  he  tossed  the  ears  to 
Kirby,  who  continued  playing  with  them,  with  a 
careless  air,  holding  them  to  the  dogs,  and  laughing 
at  their  movements  when  they  scented  the  unusual 
game. 

But  Hiram,  emboldened  by  the  advance  of  the 
deputed  constable,  now  ventured  to  approach  also, 
and  took  up  the  discourse  with  the  air  of  authority 
that  became  his  commission.  His  first  measure  was 
to  read  the  warrant  aloud,  taking  care  to  give  due 
emphasis  to  the  most  material  parts,  and  concluding 
with  the  name  of  the  Judge  in  very  audible  and 
distinct  tones. 

"  Did  Marmaduke  Temple  put  his  name  to  that 
bit  of  paper  !"  said  Natty,  shaking  his  head  ; — 
C£  well,  well,  that  man  loves  the  new  ways,  and  his 
betterments,  and  his  lands,  afore  his  own  flesh  and 
blood.  But  I  won't  mistrust  the  gal :  she  has  an 
eye  like  a  full-grown  buck !  poor  thing,  she  didn't 
choose  her  father,  and  can't  help  it.  I  know  but 
little  of  the  law,  Mr.  Doolittle  ;  what  is  to  be  done, 
how  you  have  read  your  commission  ?" 

"  Oh  !  it's  nothing  but  form,  Natty,"  said  Hiram, 
38 


446  THE    PIONEERS. 

endeavouring  to  assume  a  friendly  aspect.  "  Let's 
go  in,  and  talk  the  thing  over  in  reason.  I  dare  to 
say  that  the  money  can  be  easily  found,  though  I 
conclude,  from  what  passed,  that  Judge  Temple 
will  pay  it  himself." 

The  old  hunter  had  kept  a  keen  eye  on  the 
movements  of  his  three  visiters,  from  the  begin 
ning,  and  had  maintained  his  position,  just  without 
the  threshold  of  his  cabin,  with  a  determined  man 
ner,  that  showed  he  was  not  to  be  easily  driven 
from  his  post.  When  Hiram  drew  nigher,  as  if 
expecting  that  his  proposition  would  be  accepted, 
Natty  lifted  his  hand  and  motioned  for  him  to  re 
treat. 

"  Haven't  I  told  you  more  than  once,  not  to  tempt 
me,"  he  said.  "  I  trouble  no  man  ;  why  can't  the 
law  leave  me  to  myself?  Go  back — go  back,  and 
tell  your  Judge  that  he  may  keep  his  bounty ;  but  I 
won't  have  his  wasty  ways  brought  into  my  hut." 

This  offer,  however,  instead  of  appeasing  the  cu 
riosity  of  Hiram,  seemed  to  inflame  it  the  more  ; 
while  Kirby  cried — 

"  Well,  that's  fair,  Squire  ;  he  forgives  the  county 
his  demand,  and  the  county  should  forgive  him  the 
fine  ;  it's  what  I  call  an  even  trade,  and  should  be 
concluded  on  the  spot.  I  like  quick  dealings,  and 
what's  fair  'twixt  man  and  man." 

"  I  demand  entrance  into  this  house,"  said  Hi 
ram,  summoning  all  the  dignity  he  could  muster  to 
his  assistance,  "  in  the  name  of  the  people,  and  by 
vartoo  of  this  warrant,  and  of  my  office,  and  with 
this  peace-officer." 

"  Stand  back,  stand  back,  Squire,  and  don't  tempt 
me,"  said  the  Leather-stocking,  motioning  for  him 
to  retire,  with  great  earnestness. 

"  Stop  us  at  your  peril,"  continued  Hiram — 
"  B  illy !  Jotham !  close  up — I  want  your  testimony.*' 


THE    PIONEERS.  447 

Hiram  had  mistaken  the  mild  but  determined  air 
of  Natty  for  submission,  and  had  already  put  his 
foot  on  the  threshold  to  enter,  when  he  was 
seized  unexpectedly  by  his  shoulders,  and  hurled 
over  the  little  bank  towards  the  lake,  to  the  dis 
tance  of  twenty  feet.  The  suddenness  of  the  move 
ment,  and  the  unexpected  display  of  strength  on 
the  part  of  Natty,  created  a  momentary  astonish 
ment  in  his  invaders,  that  silenced  all  noises ;  but 
at  the  next  instant  Billy  Kirby  gave  vent  to  his 
mirth  in  loud  peals  of  laughter  that  he  seemed  to 
heave  up  from  his  very  soul. 

"  Well  done,  old  stub  !"  he  shouted  ;  "  the  Squire 
know'd  you  better  than  I  did.  Come,  come,  here's 
a  green  spot ;  take  it  out  like  men,  while  Jotham 
and  I  see  fair  play." 

"  William  Kirby,  I  order  you  to  do  your  duty," 
cried  Hiram,  from  under  the  bank;  "seize  that 
man  ;  I  order  you  to  seize  him  in  the  name  of  the 
people." 

But  the  Leather-stocking  now  assumed  a  more 
threatening  attitude ;  his  rifle  was  in  his  hand,  and 
its  muzzle  was  directed  towards  the  wood-chop 
per. 

"  Stand  off,  I  bid  ye,"  said  Natty  ;  "  you  know 
my  aim,  Billy  Kirby ;  I  don't  crave  your  blood, 
but  mine  and  yourn  both  shall  turn  this  green  grass 
red,  afore  you  put  your  foot  into  the  hut." 

While  the  affair  appeared  trifling,  the  wood-chop 
per  seemed  disposed  to  take  sides  with  the  weak 
er  party ;  but  when  the  fire-arms  were  introduced, 
his  manner  very  sensibly  changed,  He  raised  his 
large  frame  from  the  log,  and,  facing  the  hunter 
with  an  open  front,  he  replied — 

"  I  didn't  come  here  as  your  enemy,  Leather- 
slocking  ;  but  I  don't  vallie  the  hollow  piece  of 
iron  in  your  hand  so  much  as  a  broken  axe-helve 


448  THE    PIONEERS. 

—so,  Squh-e,  say  the  word,  and  keep  within  the 
law,  and  we'll  soon  see  who's  the  best  man  of  the 
two." 

But  no  magistrate  was  to  be  seen  !  The  instant 
the  rifle  was  produced  Hiram  and  Jotham  vanish 
ed  ;  and  when  the  wood-chopper  bent  his  eyes 
about  him  in  surprise  at  receiving  no  answer,  he 
discovered  their  retreating  figures,  moving  towards 
the  village,  at  a  rate  that  sufficiently  indicated  that 
they  had  not  only  calculated  the  velocity  of  a  rifle- 
bullet,  but  also  its  probable  range. 

"  You've  skeared  the  creaters  off,"  said  Kirby, 
with  great  contempt  expressed  on  his  broad  fea 
tures  ;  "  but  you  are  not  a-going  to  skear  me  ;  so, 
Mr.  Bumppo,  down  with  your  gun,  or  there'll  soon 
be  trouble  'twixt  us." 

Natty  dropped  his  rifle,  and  replied — 

"  I  wish  you  no  harm,  Billy  Kirby ;  but  I  leave 
it  to  yourself,  whether  an  old  man's  hut  is  to  be 
run  down  .by  such  varmint  as  them.  I  won't  deny 
the  buck  to  you,  Billy,  and  you  may  take  the  skin 
in,  if  you  please,  and  show  it  as  a  testimony.  The 
bounty  will  pay  the  fine,  and  that  ought  to  satisfy 
any  man." 

"  'Twill,  old  boy,  'twill,"  cried  Kirby,  every 
shade  of  displeasure  vanishing  from  his  open  brow 
at  the  peace-offering ;  "  throw  out  the  hide,  and 
that  shall  satisfy  the  law." 

Natty  entered  his  hut,  and  soon  reappeared, 
bringing  with  him  the  desired  testimonial,  and  the 
wood-chopper  departed,  as  thoroughly  reconciled 
to  the  hunter  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  As  he 
paced  along  the  margin  of  the  lake,  he  would  burst 
into  frequent  fits  of  laughter,  while  he  recollected 
the  summerset  of  Hiram  ;  and,  on  the  whole,  he 
thought  the  affair  a  very  capital  joke. 

Long  before  Billy  reached  the  village,  however. 


THE    PIONEERS  449 

the  news  of  his  danger,  and  of  Natty's  disrespect 
to  the  law,  and  of  Hiram's  discomfiture,  were  in 
circulation.  A  good  deal  was  said  about  sending 
for  the  Sheriff;  some  hints  were  given  about  call 
ing  out  the  posse  comitatus  to  avenge  the  insult 
ed  laws  ;  and  many  of  the  citizens  were  collect 
ed,  deliberating  how  to  proceed.  The  arrival  of 
Billy  with  the  skin,  by  removing  all  grounds  for  a 
search,  changed  the  complexion  of  things  materi 
ally.  Nothing  now  remained  but  to  collect  the 
tine,  and  assert  the  dignity  of  the  people ;  all  of 
which,  it  was  unanimously  agreed,  could  be  done 
as  well  on  the  succeeding  Monday  as  on  a  Saturday 
night,  a  time^kept  sacred  by  a  large  portion  of  the 
settlers.  Accordingly,  all  further  proceedings  were 
suspended  for  six-and-thirty  hours. 
38* 


CHAPTEE  XXXI. 


"  And  dar'st  thou,  then, 
To  beard  the  lion  in  his  den, 
The  Douglass  in  his  hall ."» 

Marmion. 


THE  commotion  was  just  subsiding,  and  the  in 
habitants  of  the  village  had  begun  to  disperse  from 
the  little  groups  they  had  formed,  each  retiring  to 
his  own  home,  and  closing  his  door  after  him,  with 
the  grave  air  of  a  man  who  consulted  public  feeling 
in  his  exterior  deportment,  when  Oliver  Edwards, 
on  his  return  from  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Grant,  en 
countered  the  young  lawyer,  who  is  known  to  the 
reader  as  Mr.  Lippet.  There  was  very  little  simi 
larity  in  the  manners  or  opinions  of  the  two  ;  but 
as  they  both  belonged  to  the  more  intelligent 
class  of  a  very  small  community,  they  were,  of 
course,  known  to  each  other ;  and  as  their  meet 
ing  was  at  a  point  where  silence  would  have  been 
rudeness,  the  following  conversation  was  the  result 
of  their  interview : 

"  A  fine  evening,  Mr.  Edwards,"  commenced 
the  lawyer,  whose  disinclination  to  the  dialogue 
was,  to  say  the  least,  very  doubtful ;  "  we  want 
rain  sadly; — that's  the  worst  of  this  climate  of 
ours,  it's  either  a  drought  or  a  deluge.  It's  likely 
you've  been  used  to  a  more  equal  temperatoore  ?' 


THE    PIONEERS.  451 

u  I  am  a  native  of  this  state,"  returned  Edwards, 
coldly. 

"  Well,  I've  often  heerd  that  point  disputed  , 
out  it's  so  easy  to  get  a  man  naturalized,  that  it's 
of  little  consequence  where  he  was  born.  I  won 
der  what  course  the  Judge  means  to  take  in  this 
business  of  Natty  Bumppo  ?" 

"Of  Natty  Bumppo!"  echoed  Edwards;  "to 
what  do  you  allude,  sir  ?" 

"  Haven't  you  heerd !"  exclaimed  the  other, 
with  a  look  of  surprise,  so  naturally  assumed,  as 
completely  to  deceive  the  other;  "  why,  it  may 
turn  out  an  ugly  business.  It  seems  that  the  old 
man  has  been  out  in  the  hills,  and  has  shot  a  buck, 
this  morning,  and  that,  you  know,  is  a  criminal 
matter  in  the  eyes  of  Judge  Temple." 

"  Oh  !  he  has,  has  he  !"  said  Edwards,  averting 
his  face  to  conceal  the  colour  that  collected  in  his 
sun-burnt  cheek.  "  Well,  if  that  be  all,  he  must 
even  pay  the  fine." 

"  It's  five  pounds  currency,"  said  the  lawyer ; 
"  could  Natty  muster  so  much  money  at  once  ?" 

"  Could  he  !"  cried  the  youth.  "  I  am  not  rich, 
Mr.  Lippet ;  far  from  it — I  am  poor,  and  I  have  been 
hoarding  my  salary  for  a  purpose  that  lies  near  my 
heart ;  but  before  that  old  man  should  lie  one  hour 
in  a  jail,  I  would  spend  the  last  cent  to  prevent  it. 
Besides  he  has  killed  two  panthers,  and  the  bounty 
will  discharge  the  fine  many  times  over." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  lawyer,  rubbing  his  hands 
together,  with  an  expression  of  pleasure  that  had 
no  artifice  about  it ;  "  we  shall  make  it  out ;  I  see 
plainly  we  shall  make  it  out." 

"  Make  what  out,  sir  ?  I  must  beg  an  explana 
tion." 

"  Why,  killing  the  buck  is  but  a  small  matter 
compared  to  what  took  place  this  afternoon,"  con- 


452  THE    PIONEERS. 

tinued  Mr.  Lippet  with  a  confidential  and  friendly 
air,  that  insensibly  won  upon  the  youth,  as  little  as 
he  liked  the  man.  "  It  seems,  that  a  complaint  was 
made  of  the  fact,  and  the  suspicion  that  there  was 
venison  in  the  hut  was  sworn  to,  all  which  is  pro 
vided  for  in  the  statoote,  when  Judge  Temple 
granted  a  search-warrant" — 

"  A  search-warrant !"  echoed  Edwards,  in  a 
voice  of  horror,  and  with  a  face  that  should  have 
been  again  averted,  to  conceal  its  paleness ;  "  and 
how  much  did  they  discover  ?  What  did  they  see  r" 

"  They  saw  old  Bumppo's  rifle ;  and  that  is  a 
sight  which  will  quiet  most  men's  curiosity  in  the 
woods." 

"  Did  they  !  did  they  !"  shouted  Edwards,  burst 
ing  into  a  convulsive  laugh  ;  "  so  the  old  hero  beat 
them  back  ! — he  beat  them  back !  did  he  ?" 

The  lawyer  fastened  his  eyes  in  astonishment 
on  the  youth ;  but  as  his  wonder  gave  way  to  the 
thoughts  that  were  commonly  uppermost  in  his 
mind,  he  replied — 

"  It's  no  laughing  matter,  let  me  tell  you,  sir ; 
the  forty  dollars  of  bounty,  and  your  six  months  of 
salary  will  be  much  reduced  before  you  can  get 
the  matter  fairly  settled.  Assaulting  a  magistrate 
in  the  execootion  of  his  duty,  and  menacing  a  con- 
.  stable  with  fire-arms,  at  the  same  time,  is  a  pretty 
serious  affair,  and  is  punishable  with  both  fine  and 
imprisonment." 

"  Imprisonment !"  repeated  Oliver ;  "  imprison 
the  Leather-stocking !  no,  no,  sir ;  it  would  bring 
the  old  man  to  his  grave.  They  shall  never  im 
prison  the  Leather-stocking." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Edwards,"  said  Lippet,  dropping  all 
reserve  from  his  manner,  "  you  are  called  a  curious 
man  ;  but  if  you  can  tell  me  how  a  jury  is  to  be 
prevented  from  finding  a  verdict  of  guilty,  if  this 


THE    PIONEERS.  453 

case  comes  fairly  before  them,  and  the  proof  is 
clear,  I  shall  acknowledge  that  you  know  more 
law  than  I  do,  who  have  had  a  license  in  my  pock 
et  for  three  years." 

By  this  time  the  reason  of  Edwards  was  getting 
the*  ascendency  of  his  feelings  ;  and  as  he  began  to 
see  the  real  difficulties  in  the  case,  he  listened  more 
readily  to  the  conversation  of  the  lawyer.  The 
ungovernable  emotion  that  escaped  the  youth,  in 
the  first  moment  of  his  surprise,  entirely  passed 
away,  and  although  it  was  still  evident  that  he  con 
tinued  to  be  much  agitated  by  what  he  had  heard, 
he  succeeded  in  yielding  a  forced  attention  to  the 
advice  which  the  other  uttered. 

Notwithstanding  the  confused  state  of  his  mind, 
Oliver  soon  discovered  that  most  of  the  expedients 
of  the  lawyer  were  grounded  in  cunning,  and  plans 
that  required  a  time  to  execute  them  in,  that  nei 
ther  suited  his  disposition  nor  his  emergencies. 
After,  however,  giving  Mr.  Lippet  to  understand 
that  he  retained  him  in  the  event  of  a  trial,  an  as 
surance  that  at  once  satisfied  the  lawyer,  they 
parted,  one  taking  his  course,  with  a  deliberate 
tread,  in  the  direction  of  the  little  building  that  had 
a  wooden  sign  over  its  door,  with  "  Chester  Lip- 
pet,  Attorney  at  Law,"  painted  on  it;  and  the 
other,  pacing  over  the  ground,  with  enormous 
strides,  towards  the  Mansion-house.  We  shall  take 
leave  of  the  attorney  for  the  present,  and  direct 
the  attention  of  the  reader  to  his  client. 

When  Edwards  entered  the  hall,  whose  enor 
mous  doors  were  opened  to  the  passage  of  the  air 
of  a  mild  evening,  he  found  Benjamin  engaged  in 
some  of  his  domestic  avocations,  and  in  a  hurried 
voice  inquired  where  Judge  Temple  was  to  be 
found. 

"  Why,  the  Judge  has  just  stept  into  his  office, 


454  THE    PIONEERS. 

with  that  master  carpenter,  Mister  Doolittle ;  but 
Miss  Lizzy  is  in  that  there  parlour.  I  say,  Master 
Oliver,  we'd  like  to  have  had  a  bad  job  of  that 
panther,  or  painter's  work — some  calls  it  one,  and 
some  calls  it  t'other — but  I  know  little  of  the  beast, 
seeing  that  it  is  not  of  British,  growth.  I  said  as 
much  as  that  it  was  in  the  hills,  the  last  winter ; 
for  I  heard  it  moaning  on  the  lake  shore  one  even 
ing  in  the  fall,  when  I  was  pulling  down  from  the 
fishing  point  in  the  skiff.  Had  the  animal  come 
into  the  open  water,  where  a  man  could  see  where 
and  how  to  work  his  vessel,  I  would  have  engaged 
the  thing  myself;  but  looking  aloft  among  the  trees 
is  all  the  same  to  me  as  standing  on  the  deck  of 
one  ship,  and  looking  at  another  vessel's  tops.  I 
never  can  tell  one  rope  from  another — " 

"  Well,  well,"  interrupted  Edwards ;  "  I  must 
see  Miss  Temple." 

"  And  you  shall  see  her,  sir,"  said  the  steward  ; 
"  she's  in  this  here  room.  Oh  !  Lord,  Master  Ed 
wards,  what  a  loss  she'd  have  been  to  the  Judge  ! 
Dam'me  if  I  know  where  he  would  have  gotten 
such  another  daughter ;  that  is,  full  grown,  d'ye 
see.  I  say,  sir,  this  Master  Bumppo  is  a  worthy 
man,  and  seems  to  have  a  handy  way  with  him, 
with  fire-arms  and  boat-hooks.  I'm  his  friend, 
Master  Oliver,  and  he  and  you  may  both  set  me 
down  as  the  same." 

"  We  may  want  your  friendship,  my  worthy  fel 
low,"  cried  Edwards,  squeezing  his  hand  convul 
sively — "  We  may  want  your  friendship,  in  which 
case  you  shall  know  it." 

Without  waiting  to  hear  the  earnest  reply  that 
Benjamin  meditated,  the  youth  extricated  himself 
from  the  vigorous  grasp  of  the  steward,  and  en 
tered  the  parlour. 

Elizabeth  was  alone,  and  still  reclining  on  the 


THE   PIONEERS.  455 

sofa,  where  we  last  left  her.  A  hand,  which  ex 
ceeded  all  that  the  ingenuity  of  art  could  model, 
in  shape  and  colour,  veiled  her  eyes ;  and  the 
maiden  was  sitting  in  an  abstracted  posture,  as  if 
communing  deeply  with  herself.  Struck  by  the 
attitude  and  loveliness  of  the  form  that  met  his  eye, 
the  young  man  checked  his  impatience,  and  ap 
proached  her  with  respect  and  caution. 

"  Miss  Temple — Miss  Temple,"  he  said,  "  I  hope 
I  do  not  intrude ;  but  I  am  anxious  to  see  you,  if  it 
be  only  for  a  moment." 

Elizabeth  raised  her  face,  and  exhibited  her  dark 
eyes  swimming  in  moisture  ;  but  a  flush  crossed 
her  cheeks,  that  resembled  the  tints  which  the 
setting  sun  throws  over  the  neighbouring  clouds. 

"  Is  it  you,  Edwards  ?"  she  said,  with  a  sweet 
ness  in  her  voice,  and  a  softness  in  her  air,  that 
she  often  used  to  her  father,  but  which,  from  its 
novelty  to  himself,  thrilled  on  every  nerve  of  the 
youth ;  "  how  left  you  our  poor  Louise  ?" 

"  She  is  with  her  father,  happy  and  grateful," 
said  Oliver.  "  I  never  witnessed  more  feeling  than 
she  manifested,  when  I  ventured  to  express  my 
pleasure  at  her  escape.  I  know  not  how  it  was, 
Miss  Temple,  but  when  I  first  heard  of  your  hor 
rid  situation,  my  feelings  were  too  powerful  for 
utterance  ;  and  I  did  not  properly  find  my  tongue, 
until  the  walk  to  Mr.  Grant's  had  given  me  time 
to  collect  myself.  I  believe — I  do  believe,  I  ac 
quitted  myself  better  there,  for  Miss  Grant  even 
wept  at  my  silly  speeches." 

For  a  moment  Elizabeth  did  not  reply,  but  again 
veiled  her  eyes  with  her  hand.  The  feeling  that 
caused  the  action,  however,  soon  passed  away,  and, 
raising  her  face  again  to  his  gaze,  she  continued, 
with  a  smile — 

"  Your  friend,  the  Leather-stocking,  has  now 


456  THE    PIONEERS. 

become  my  friend,  Edwards  ;  I  have  been  thinking 
how  I  can  best  serve  him  ;  perhaps  you,  who  know 
his  habits  and  his  wants  so  well,  can  tell  me " 

"  I  can,"  cried  the  youth,  with  an  impetuosity 
that  startled  the  maiden — "  I  can,  and  may  Heaven 
reward  you  for  the  wish.  Natty  has  been  so  im 
prudent  as  to  forget  the  law,  and  has  this  day  killed 
a  deer.  Nay,  I  believe  I  must  share  in  the  crime 
and  the  penalty,  for  I  was  an  accomplice  through 
out.  A  complaint  has  been  made  to  your  father, 
and  he  has  granted  a  search — — " 

"  I  know  it  all,"  interrupted  Elizabeth,  beckon 
ing  with  her  hand  for  silence  ;  "  I  know  it — I  know 
it  all.  The  forms  of  the  law  must  be  complied 
with,  however  ;  the  search  must  be  made,  the  deer 
found,  and  the  penalty  paid.  But  I  must  retort 
your  own  question.  Have  you  lived  so  lorg  in 
our  family,  not  to  know  us  ?  Look  at  me,  Oliver 
Edwards.  Do  I  appear  like  the  girl  who  would 
permit  the  man  that  has  just  saved  her  life  to  linger 
in  a  jail,  for  so  small  a  sum  as  this  fine  ?  No,  no, 
sir  ;  my  father  is  a  Judge,  but  he  is  a  man  and  a 
Christian.  It  is  all  understood,  and  no  harm  shall 
follow." 

"  What  a  load  of  apprehension  do  your  declara 
tions  remove  !"  exclaimed  Edwards.  "  He  shall 
not  be  disturbed  again  !  your  father  will  protect 
him  !  I  have  your  assurance,  Miss  Temple,  that  he 
will,  and  I  must  believe  it." 

"  You  may  have  his  own,  Mr.  Edwards,"  re 
turned  Elizabeth,  "  for  here  he  comes  to  make  it." 

But  the  appearance  of  Marmaduke,  who  entered 
the  apartment,  contradicted  the  flattering  anticipa 
tions  of  his  daughter.  His  brow  was  contracted 
with  a  look  of  care,  and  his  manner  was  disturbed. 
Neither  Elizabeth  nor  the  youth  spoke ;  but  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  457 

Judge  was  allowed  to  pace  once  or  twice  across 
the  room  without  interruption,  when  he  cried — 

"  Our  plans  are  defeated,  girl ;  the  obstinacy  of 
the  Leather-stocking  has  brought  down  the  indig 
nation  of  the  law  on  his  devoted  head,  and  it  is  out 
of  my  power  to  avert  it." 

"  How  ?  in  what  manner  ?"  cried  Elizabeth  ; 
u  the  fine  is  nothing  ;  surely " 

"  I  did  not — I  could  not  anticipate  that  an  old,  a 
friendless  man  like  him,  would  dare  to  oppose  the 
officers  of  justice,"  interrupted  the  Judge  ;  "  I  sup 
posed  that  he  would  submit  to  the  search,  when 
the  fine  could  have  been  paid,  and  the  law  would 
have  been  appeased  ;  but  now  he  will  have  to  meet 
its  rigour." 

"  And  what  must  the  punishment  be,  sir  ?"  ask 
ed  Edwards,  in  an  agitated  voice. 

Marmaduke  turned  quickly  to  the  spot  where 
the  youth  had  withdrawn,  and  exclaimed — 

"  You  here  !  I  did  not  observe  you.  I  know  not 
what  it  will  be,  sir  ;  it  is  not  usual  for  a  Judge  to 
decide,  until  he  has  heard  the  testimony,  and  the 
jury  have  convicted.  Of  one  thing,  however,  you 
may  be  assured,  Mr.  Edwards ;  it  shall  be  what 
ever  the  law  demands,  notwithstanding  any  mo 
mentary  weakness  I  may  have  exhibited,  because 
the  luckless  man  has  been  of  such  eminent  service 
to  my  daughter." 

"  No  one,  I  believe,  doubts  the  sense  of  justice 
which  Judge  Temple  entertains  !"  returned  Ed 
wards,  bitterly.  "  But  let  us  converse  calmly,  sir 
Will  not  the  years,  the  habits,  nay,  the  ignorance 
of  my  old  friend,  avail  him  any  thing  against  such 
a  charge  ?" 

"  Ought  they  ?  I  may  ask,"  returned  Marmaduke. 
"  They  may  extenuate,  but  can  they  acquit  ?  Would 
any  society  be  tolerable,  young  man,  where  the 
39 


458  THE    PIONEERS. 

ministers  of  justice  are  to  be  opposed  by  men  arm 
ed  with  rifles  ?  Is  it  for  this  that  I  have  tamed  the 
wilderness  ?" 

"  Had  you  tamed  the  beasts  that  so  lately  threat 
ened  the  life  of  Miss  Temple,  sir,  your  arguments 
would  apply  better." 

"  Edwards  !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth 

"  Peace,  my  child,"  interrupted  her  father ; — 
"the  youth  is  unjust ;  but  I  have  not  given  him 
cause.  I  overlook  thy  remark,  Oliver,  for  I  know 
thee  to  be  the  friend  of  Natty,  and  thy  zeal  in  his 
behalf  has  overcome  thy  discretion." 

"  Yes,  he  is  my  friend,"  cried  Edwards,  "  and  I 
glory  in  the  title.  He  is  simple,  unlettered,  even 
ignorant ;  prejudiced,  perhaps,  though  I  feel  that 
his  opinion  of  the  world  is  too  true  ;  but  he  has  a 
heart,  Judge  Temple,  that  would  atone  for  a  thou 
sand  faults ;  he  knows  his  friends,  and  never  de 
serts  them,  even  if  it  be  his  dog." 

"  This  is  a  good  character,  Mr.  Edwards,"  re 
turned  Marmaduke,  mildly ;  "  but  I  have  never 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  his  esteem,  for  to 
me  he  has  been  uniformly  repulsive  ;  yet  I  have 
endured  it,  as  an  old  man's  whim.  However,  whsn 
he  appears  before  me,  as  his  judge,  he  shall  find 
that  his  former  conduct  shall  not  aggravate,  any 
more  than  his  recent  services  shall  extenuate  his 
crime." 

"  Crime  !"  echoed  Edwards  ;  "  is  it  a  crime  to 
drive  a  prying  miscreant  from  his  door  ?  Crime  ! 
Oh  !  no,  sir  ;  if  there  be  a  criminal  involved  in  this 
affair,  it  is  not  he." 

"  And  wTho  may  it  be,  sir  ?"  asked  Judge  Tem 
ple,  facing  the  agitated  youth,  with  his  fine,  manly 
features  settled  to  thei;  usual  composure. 

This  appeal  was  more  than  the  young  man  could 
bear.  Hitherto  he  had  been  deeply  agitated  by 


THE    PIONEERS.  459 

his  emotions  ;  but  now  the  volcano  burst  its  boun 
daries. 

"  Who  !  and  this  to  me  i"  he  cried  ;  "  ask  your 
own  conscience,  Judge  Temple.  Walk  to  that 
door,  sir,  and  look  out  upon  the  valley,  that  placid 
lake,  and  those  dusky  mountains,  and  say  to  your 
own  heart,  if  heart  you  have,  whence  came  these 
riches,  this  vale,  those  hills,  and  why  am  I  their 
owner  ?  I  should  think,  sir,  that"  the  appearance 
of  Mohegan  and  the  Leather-stocking,  stalking 
through  the  country,  impoverished  and  forlorn, 
would  wither  your  sight." 

Marmaduke-  heard  this  burst  of  passion,  at  first 
with  deep  amazement ;  but  when  the  youth  had 
ended,  he  beckoned  to  his  impatient  daughter  for 
silence,  and  replied — 

"  Oliver  Edwards,  thou  forgettest  in  whose  pre 
sence  thou  standest.  I  have  heard,  young  man, 
that  thou  claimest  descent  from  the  native  owners 
of  the  soil;  but  surely  thy  education  has  been 
given  thee  to  no  effect,  if  it  has  not  taught  thee 
the  validity  of  the  claims  that  have  transferred  the 
title  to  the  whites.  These  lands  are  mine  by  the 
very  grants  of  thy  ancestry,  if  thou  art  so  descend 
ed  ;  and  I  appeal  to  Heaven,  for  a  testimony  of  the 
uses  I  have  put  them  to.  After  this  language,  we 
must  separate.  I  have  too  long  sheltered  thee  in 
my  dwelling;  but  the  time  has  arrived  when 
thou  must  quit  it.  Come  to  my  office,  and  I  will 
discharge  the  debt  I  owe  thee.  Neither  shall  thy 
present  intemperate  language  mar  thy  future  for 
tunes,  if  thou  wilt  hearken  to  the  advice  of  one 
who  is  by  many  years  thy  senior." 

The  ungoverning  feeling  that  caused  the  vio 
lence  of  the  youth  had  passed  away,  and  he  stood 
gazing  after  the  retiring  figure  of  Marmaduke,  with 
a  vacancy  in  his  eye,  that  denoted  the  absence  of 


460  THE    PIONEERS. 

his  mind.  At  length  he  recollected  himself,  and, 
turning  his  head  slowly  around  the  apaiiment,  he 
beheld  Elizabeth,  still  seated  on  the  sofa,  but  with 
her  head  dropped  on  her  bosom,  and  her  face  again 
concealed  by  her  hands. 

"  Miss  Temple,"  he  said — all  violence  had  left 
his  manner — "  Miss  Temple — I  have  forgotten  my 
self — forgotten  you.  You  have  heard  what  your 
father  tias  decreed,  and  this  night  I  leave  here. 
With  you  I  would  part  in  amity." 

Elizabeth  slowly  raised  her  face,  across  which  a 
momentary  expression  of  sadness  stole  ;  but  as  she 
left  her  seat,  her  dark  eyes  lighted  with  their  usual 
fire,  her  cheek  flushed  to  burning,  and  her  whole 
air  seemed  to  belong  to  another  nature. 

"I  forgive  you,  Edwards,  and  my  father  will 
forgive  you,"  she  said,  when  she  reached  the  door. 
"  You  do  not  know  us,  but  the  time  may  come, 
when  your  opinions  shall  change" — 

"  Of  you  !    never  !"    interrupted    the    youth  : 

U  J » 

"  I  would  speak,  sir,  and  not  listen.  There  is 
something  in  this  affair  that  I  do  not  yet  compre 
hend;  but  tell  the  Leather-stocking  te  has  friends 
as  well  as  judges  in  us.  Do  not  let  the  «ld  man  ex 
perience  unnecessary  uneasiness  at  this  rupture.  It 
is  impossible  that  you  could  increase  his  claims 
here  ;  neither  shall  they  be  diminished  by  any 
thing  you  have  said.  Mr.  Edwards,  I  wish  you 
happiness,  and  warmer  friends." 

The  youth  would  have  spoken,  but  she  vanished 
from  the  door  so  rapidly,  that  when  he  reached 
the  hall  her  light  form  was  no  where  to  be  seen. 
He  paused  a  moment,  in  a  stupor,  and  then,  rush 
ing  from  the  house,  instead  of  following  Marma 
duke  to  his  "  office,"  he  took  his  way  directly  for 
the  cabin  of  the  hunters. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


"  Who  measured  earth,  described  the  starry  spheres, 
And  traced  the  long  records  of  lunar  years." 

Pope 


RICHARD  did  not  return  from  the  exercise  of  his 
official  duties,  until  late  in  the  evening  of  the  fol 
lowing  day.  It  had  been  one  portion  of  his  busi 
ness  to  superintend  the  arrest  of  part  of  a  gang  of 
counterfeiters,  that  had,  even  at  that  early  period, 
buried  themselves  in  the  woods,  to  manufacture 
their  base  coin,  which  they  afterward  circulated 
from  one  end  of  the  Union  to  the  other.  The  ex 
pedition  had  been  completely  successful,  and  about 
midnight  the  Sheriff  entered  the  village,  at  the 
head  of  a  posse  of  deputies  and  constables,  in  the 
centre  of  whom  rode,  pinioned,  four  of  the  male 
factors.  At  the  gate  of  the  Mansion-house  they 
separated,  Mr.  Jones  directing  his  assistants  to  pro 
ceed  with  their  charge  to  the  county-jail,  while  he 
pursued  his  own  way  up  the  gravelled  walk,  with 
that  kind  of  self-satisfaction  that  a  man  of  his  or 
ganization  would  feel,  who  had,  really,  for  once, 
done  a  very  clever  thing. 

"  Holla !  Aggy  !"  shouted  the  Sheriff,  when  he 

reached   the  door;  "  where  are  you,  you  black 

dog  ?  will  you  keep  me  here  in  the  dark  all  night  ? 

Holla  !  Aggy  '  Brave !    Brave  !  hoy,  hoy — where 

39* 


462  THE    PIONEERS. 

have  you  got  to,  Brave  ?  Off  his  watch  !  Every 
body  is  asleep  but  myself!  poor  I  must  keep  my 
eyes  open,  that  others  may  sleep  in  safety.  Brave  ! 
Brave  !  Well,  I  will  say  this  for  the  dog,  lazy  aa 
he's  grown,  that  it  is  the  first  time  I  ever  knew 
him  let  any  one  come  to  the  door  after  dark,  with 
out  having  a  smell  to  know  whether  it  was  an  ho 
nest  man  or  not.  He  could  tell  by  his  nose,  al 
most  as  well  as  I  could  myself  by  looking  at  them. 
Holla  !  you  Agamemnon  !  where  are  you  ?  Oh  ! 
here  comes  the  dog  at  last." 

By  this  time  the  Sheriff  had  dismounted,  and  ob 
served  a  form,  which  he  supposed  to  be  that  of 
Brave,  slowly  creeping  out  of  the  kennel ;  when, 
to  his  astonishment,  it  reared  itself  on  two  legs  in 
stead  of  four,  and  he  was  able  to  distinguish,  by 
the  star-light,  the  curly  head  and  dark  visage  of 
the  negro. 

"  Ha  !  what  the  devil  are  you  doing  there,  you 
black  rascal  ?"  he  cried  ;  "  is  it  not  hot  enough  for 
your  Guinea  blood  in  the  house,  this  warm  night, 
but  you  must  drive  out  the  poor  dog  and  sleep  in 
his  straw  ?" 

By  this  time  the  boy  was  quite  awake,  and,  with 
a  blubbering  whine,  he  attempted  to  reply  to  his 
master. 

"  Oh !  masser  Richard !  masser  Richard  !  such 
a  ting  !  such  a  ting  !  I  neber  tink  a  could  'appen 
neber  tink  he  die !     Oh,  Lor-a-gor  !  an't  bury — • 
keep  'em  till  masser  Richard  get  back — got  a  grabe 
dug—" 

Here  the  feelings  of  the  negro  completely  got  the 
mastery,  and  instead  of  making  any  intelligible  ex 
planation  of  the  causes  of  his  grief,  he  blubbered 
aloud. 

"  Eh !  what !  buried  !  grave  !  dead  !"  exclaim 
ed  Richard,  with  a  tremour  in  his  voice  ;  "  nothing 


THE    PIONEERS.  463 

serious  ?  Nothing  has  happened  to  Benjamin,  1 
hope  ?  I  know  he  has  been  bilious ;  but  I  gave 
him—" 

"  Oh !  worser  'an  a  dat !  worser  'an  a  dat !" 
sobbed  the  negro.  "  Oh !  de  Lor !  Miss  'Lizzy 
an  a  Miss  Grant — walk — mountain — poor  Bravy  ! 
— kill  a  lady — painter — Oh  !  Lor,  Lor  ! — Natty 
Bumppo — tear  he  troat  all  open — come  a  see,  mas- 
ser  Richard — such  a  booful  copse — here  he  be — 
here  he  be." 

As  all  this  was  perfectly  inexplicable  to  the 
Sheriff,  he  was  very  glad  to  wait  patiently  until 
the  black  brought  a  lantern  from  the  kitchen,  when 
he  followed  Aggy  to  the  kennel,  where  he  beheld 
poor  Brave,  indeed,  lying  in  his  blood,  stiff  and 
cold,  but  decently  covered  'with  the  great-coat  of 
the  negro.  He  was  on  the  point  of  demanding  an 
explanation ;  but  the  grief  of  the  black,  who  had 
fallen  asleep  on  his  voluntary  watch,  having  burst 
out  afresh  on  his  waking,  utterly  disqualified  the 
lad  from  giving  one.  Luckily,  at  this  moment  the 
principal  door  of  the  house  opened,  and  the  coarse 
features  of  Benjamin  were  thrust  over  the  thresh 
old,  with  a  candle  elevated  above  them,  shedding 
its  dim  rays  around  in  such  a  manner  as  to  exhibit 
the  lights  and  shadows  of  his  countenance.  Ri 
chard  threw  his  bridle  to  the  black,  and  bidding 
him  look  to  the  horse,  he  entered  the  hall. 

u  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  dead  dog  ?"  he 
cried.  "  Where  is  Miss  Temple  ?" 

Benjamin  made  one  of  his  square  gestures,  with 
the  thumb  of  his  left  hand  pointing  over  his  right 
shoulder,  as  he  answered — 

"  Turned  in." 
.  "  Judge  Temple — where  is  h«  ?" 

"  In  his  birth." 


464  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  But  explain ;  why  is  Brave  dead  ?  and  what 
is  the  cause  of  Aggy's  grief?" 

"  Why,  it's  all  down,  Squire,"  said  Benjamin, 
pointing  to  a  slate  that  lay  on  the  table,  by  the  side 
of  a  mug  of  toddy,  a  short  pipe,  in  which  the  to 
bacco  was  yet  burning,  and  a  Prayer-book. 

Among  the  other  pursuits  of  Richard,  it  was  a 
passion  to  keep  a  register  of  all  passing  events ; 
and  his  diary,  which  was  written  in  the  manner  of 
a  journal,  or  log-book,  embraced  not  only  such  cir 
cumstances  as  affected  himself,  but  observations  on 
the  weather,  and  all  the  occurrences  of  the  family, 
and  frequently  of  the  village.  Since  his  appoint 
ment  to  the  office  of  Sheriff,  and  his  consequent 
absences  from  home,  he  had  employed  Benjamin 
to  make  memoranda,  on  a  slate,  of  whatever  might 
be  thought  worth  remembering,  which,  on  his  re 
turn,  were  regularly  transferred  to  the  journal, 
with  proper  notations  of  the  time,  manner,  and 
other  little  particulars.  There  was,  to  be  sure, 
one  material  objection  to  the  clerkship  of  Benja 
min,  which  the  ingenuity  of  no  one  but  Richard 
could  have  overcome.  The  steward  read  nothing 
but  his  Prayer-book,  and  that  only  in  particular 
parts,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  good  deal  of  spelling,  and 
some  misnomers ;  but  he  could  not  form  a  single 
letter  with  a  pen.  This  would  have  been  an  in 
superable  bar  to  journalizing,  with  most  men  ;  but 
Richard  invented  a  kind  of  hieroglyph ical  charac 
ter,  which  was  intended  to  note  all  the  ordinary 
occurrences  of  a  day,  such  as  how  the  wind  blew, 
whether  the  sun  shone,  or  whether  it  rained,  the 
hours,  &c. ;  and  for  the  extraordinary,  after  giving 
certain  elementary  lectures  on  the  subject,  the 
Sheriff  was  obliged  to  trust  to  the  ingenuity  of  the 
Major-domo,  The  reader  will  at  once  perceive 


THE    PIONEERS.  465 

that  it  was  to  this  chronicle  that  Benjamin  pointed, 
instead  of  directly  answering  the  Sheriff's  interro 
gatory. 

When  Mr.  Jones  had  drunk  a  glass  of  the  toddy, 
he  brought  forth,  from  its  secret  place,  his  proper 
journal,  and,  seating  himself  by  the  table,  he  pre 
pared  to  tranfer  the  contents  of  the  slate  to  the  pa 
per,  at  the  same  time  that  he  appeased  his  curiosi 
ty.  Benjamin  laid  one  hand  on  the  back  of  the 
Sheriff's  chair,  in  a  familiar  manner,  while  he  kept 
the  other  at  liberty,  to  make  use  of  a  fore-finger, 
that  was  bent  like  some  of  his  own  characters,  as 
an  index  to  point  out  his  meaning. 

The  first  thing  referred  to  by  the  Sheriff  was  the 
diagram  of  a  compass,  that  was  cut  in  one  corner  of 
the  slate  for  permanent  use.  The  cardinal  points 
were  plainly  marked  on  it,  and  all  the  usual  divi 
sions  were  indicated  in  such  a  manner,  that  no  man 
who  had  ever  steered  a  ship  could  mistake  them. 

"  Oh  !"  said  the  Sheriff,  settling  himself  down 
comfortably  in  his  chair — "  you'd  the  wind  south 
east,  I  see,  all  last  night ;  I  thought  it  would  have 
blown  up  rain." 

"  Devil  the  drop,  sir,"  said  Benjamin  ;  "  I  be 
lieve  that  the  scuttle-butt  up  aloft  is  emptied,  for 
there  hasn't  so  much  water  fell  in  the  county,  for 
the  last  three  weeks,  as  would  float  Indian  John's 
canoe,  and  that  draws  just  one  inch  nothing,  light." 

"  Well,  but  didn't  the  wind  change  here  this 
morning  ?  there  was  a  change  where  I  was." 

"  To  be  sure  it  did,  Squire ;  and  haven't  I  log 
ged  it  as  a  shift  of  mind." 

"  I  don't  see  where,  Benjamin  ;  I " 

"  Don't  see  !"  interrupted  the  steward,  a  little 
ciustily;  "  an't  there  a  mark  ag'in  east-and-by- 
nothe-half-nothe,  with  sum'mat  like  a  rising  sun  at 
the  end  of  it,  to  show  'twas  in  the  morning  watch  ?" 


466  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  is  very  legible  ;  but  where  is  the 
change  noted  ?" 

"  Where  !  why  doesn't  it  see  this  here  tea-ket- 
ile,  with  a  mark  run  from  the  spout  straight,  or 
mayhap  a  little  crooked  or  so,  into  west-and-by- 
southe-half-southe  ?  now  I  calls  this  a  shift  of  wind, 
Squire.  Well,  do  you  see  this  here  boar's  head 
that  you  made  for  me,  along  side  of  the  com 
pass " 

"  Ay,  ay — Boreas — I  see.  Why  you've  drawn 
lines  from  its  mouth,  extending  from  one  of  your 
marks  to  the  other." 

"  It's  no  fault  of  mine,  Squire  Dickens  ;  'tis  your 
d — d  climate.  The  wind  has  been  at  all  them  there 
marks  this  very  day  ;  and  that's  all  round  the  com 
pass,  except  a  little  matter  of  an  Irishman's  hurri 
cane  at  meridium,  which  you'll  find  marked  right 
up  and  down.  Now,  I've  known  a  sow-wester 
blow  for  three  weeks,  in  the  Channel,  with  a  clean 
drizzle,  in  which  you  might  wash  your  face  and 
hands,  without  the  trouble  of  hauling  in  wrater  from 
along  side." 

"  Very  well,  Benjamin,"  said  the  Sheriff,  writing 
in  his  journal ;  "  I  believe  I  have  caught  the  idea. 
Oh  !  here's  a  cloud  over  the  rising  sun  ; — so  you 
had  it  hazy  in  the  morning  ?" 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Benjamin. 

"  Ah  !  it's  Sunday,  and  here  are  the  marks  for 
the  length  of  the  sermon — one,  two,  three,  four — 
What !  did  Mr.  Grant  preach  forty  minutes  ?" 

"  Ay,  sum'mat  like  it ;  it  was  a  good  half-hour  by 
my  own  glass,  and  then  there  was  the  time  lost  in 
turning  it,  and  some  little  allowance  for  leeway  in 
not  being  over  smart  about  it." 

"  But,  Benjamin,  this  is  as  long  as  a  Presbyteri 
an  sermon  ;  you  never  could  have  been  ten  minutes 
in  turning  the  glass  !" 


THE    PIONEERS.  467 

«  Why,  do  you  see,  Squire,  the  parson  was  very 
solemn,  and  1  just  closed  my  eyes  in  order  to  think 
the  better  with  myself,  just  the  same  as  you'd  put 
in  the  dead-lights  to  make  all  snug,  and  when  I 
opened  them  ag'in  I  found  the  congregation  were 
getting  under  weigh  for  home,  so  I  calculated  the 
ten  minutes  would  cover  the  lee-way  after  the 
glass  was  out.  It  was  only  some  such  matter  as  a 
cat's  nap." 

"  Oh,  ho  !  master  Benjamin,  you  were  asleep, 
were  you  !  but  I'll  set  down  no  such  slander  against 
an  orthodox  divine."  Richard  wrote  twenty-nine 
minutes  in  his  journal,  and  continued — "  Why, 
what's  this  you've  got  opposite  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.  ? 
a  full  moon  !  had  you  a  moon  visible  by  day  !  I 
have  heard  of  such  portents  before  now,  but — eh  ! 
what's  this  along  side  of  it  ?  an  hour-glass  ?" 

"  That !"  said  Benjamin,  looking  coolly  over  the 
Sheriff's  shoulder,  and  rolling  the  tobacco  about  in 
his  mouth  with  a  jocular  air  ;  "  why,  that's  a  small 
matter  of  my  own.  It's  no  moon,  Squire,  but  only 
Betty  Hollister's  face  ;  for,  d'ye  see,  sir,  hearing 
all  the  same  as  if  she  had  got  up  a  new  cargo  of 
Jamaiky  from  the  river,  I  called  in  as  I  was  going 
to  the  church  this  morning — ten  A.  M.  was  it  ? — 
just  the  time — and  tried  a  glass ;  and  so  I  logged  it, 
to  put  me  in  mind  of  calling  to  pay  her  like  an 
honest  man." 

"  That  was  it,  was  it  ?"  said  the  Sheriff,  with 
some  displeasure  at  this  innovation  on  his  memo 
randa  ;  "  and  could  you  not  make  a  better  glass 
than  this  ?  it  looks  like  a  death's  head  and  an  hour 
glass." 

"  Why,  as  I  liked  the  stuff,  Squire,"  returned 
the  steward,  "  I  turned  in,  homeward  bound,  and 
took  t'other  glass,  which  I  set  down  at  the  bottom 
of  the  first,  and  that  gives  the  thing  the  shape  it 


468  THE    PIONEERS. 

has.  But  as  I  was  there  ag'in  to-night,  and  paid 
for  the  three  at  once,  your  honour  may  as  well  run 
the  sponge  over  the  whole  business." 

"  I  will  buy  you  a  slate  for  your  own  affairs, 
Benjamin,"  said  the  Sheriff;  "for  I  don't  like  to 
have  the  journal  marked  over  in  this  manner." 

"  You  needn't — you  needn't,  Squire  ;  for,  see 
ing  that  I  was  likely  to  trade  often  with  the  wo 
man  while  this  barrel  lasted,  I've  opened  a  fair  ac 
count  with  Betty,  and  she  keeps  her  marks  on  the 
back  of  her  bar  door,  and  I  keeps  the  tally  on  this 
here  bit  of  a  stick." 

As  Benjamin  concluded  he  produced  a  piece  of 
wood,  on  which  five  very  honest,  large  notches 
were  apparent.  The  Sheriff  cast  his  eyes  on  this 
new  ledger,  for  a  moment,  and  continued — 

"  What  have  we  here  !  Saturday,  two  P.  M. — 
why  here's  a  whole  family  piece  !  two  wine  glasses 
up-side-down !" 

"  That's  two  women  ;  the  one  this  a-way  is  Miss 
'Lizzy,  and  t'other  is  the  parson's  young'un." 

"  Cousin  Bess  and  Miss  Grant !"  exclaimed  the 
Sheriff,  in  amazement ;  "  why,  what  have  they  to 
do  with  my  journal  ?" 

"  They'd  enough  to  do  to  get  out  of  the  jaws  of 
that  there  painter,  or  panther,"  said  the  immovea- 
ble  steward.  "  This  here  thingum'y,  Squire,  that 
maybe  looks  sum'mat  like  a  rat,  is  the  beast,  d'ye 
see  ;  and  this  here  t'other  thing,  keel  uppermost, 
is  poor  old  Brave,  who  died  nobly,  all  the  same  as 
an  admiral  fighting  for  his  king  and  country  ;  and 
that  there — " 

"  Scarecrow,"  interrupted  Richard. 

"  Ay,  mayhap  it  do  look  a  little  wild  or  so,"  con 
tinued  the  steward  ;  "  but  to  my  judgment,  Squire, 
it's  the  best  imager  I've  made,  seeing  it's  most  like 
the  man  himself ;— -well,  that's  Natty  Bumppoy 


I 

THE    PIONEERS.  469 

who  shot  this  here  painter,  that  killed  that  there 
dog,  who  would  have  eaten  or  done  worse  to  them 
here  young  ladies." 

"  And  what  the  devil  does  all  this  mean  ?"  cried 
Richard,  impatiently. 

"Mean!"  echoed  Benjamin;  "it's  as  true  as 
the  Boadishey's  log-book" — 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  sheriff,  who  put  a  few 
direct  questions  to  him,  that  obtained  more  intelli 
gible  answers,  by  which  means  he  became  possess 
ed  of  a  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the  truth.  When 
the  wonder,  and,  we  must  do  Richard  the  justice 
to  say,  the  feelings  also,  that  were  created  by  this 
narrative,  had  in  some  degree  subsided,  the  She 
riff  turned  his  eyes  again  on  his  journal,  where 
more  inexplicable  hieroglyphics  met  his  view. 

"  What  have  we  here  !"  he  cried  ;  "  two  men 
boxing  !  has  there  been  a  breach  of  the  peace  ?  ah ! 
that's  the  way,  the  moment  my  back  is  turned — " 

"  That's  the  Judge  and  young  Master  Edwards," 
interrupted  the  steward,  very  cavalierly. 

"  How  !  'duke  fighting  with  Oliver !  what  the 
devil  has  got  into  you  all  ?  more  things  have  hap 
pened  within  the  last  thirty-six  hours  than  in  the 
preceding  six  months." 

"  Yes,  it's  so  indeed,  Squire,"  returned  the 
steward  ;  "  I've  known  a  smart  chase,  and  a  fight 
at  the  tail  of  it,  where  less  has  been  logged  than 
I've  got  on  that  there  slate.  Howsomnever,  they 
didn't  come  to  facers,  only  passed  a  little  jaw  fore 
and  aft." 

"  Explain  !  explain  !"  cried  Richard — "  it  was 
about  the  mines,  ha ! — ay,  ay,  I  see  it,  I  see  it ; 
here  is  a  man,  with  a  pick  on  his  shoulder.  So 
you  heard  it  all,  Benjamin  ?" 

."  Why,  yes,  it  was  about  their  minds,  I  believe, 
Squire,"  returned  the  steward ;  "  and  by  what  I 
40 


470  THE   PIONEERS. 

can  learn,  they  spoke  them  pretty  plainly  to  one 
another.  Indeed  I  may  say  that  I  overheard  a 
small  matter  of  it  myself,  seeing  that  the  windows 
was  open,  and  I  hard  by.  But  this  here  is  no  pick, 
but  an  anchor  on  a  man's  shoulder;  and  here's  the 
other  fluke  down  his  back,  maybe  a  little  too  close, 
which  signifies  that  the  lad  has  got  under  way  and 
left  his  moorings." 

"  Has  Edwards  left  the  house  ?"  demanded  Ri 
chard,  peremptorily. 

"  He  has,"  said  the  steward. 

Richard  pursued  this  advantage,  and,  after  a 
long  and  close  examination,  he  succeeded  in  get 
ting  out  of  Benjamin  all  that  he  knew,  not  only 
concerning  the  misunderstanding,  but  of  the  at 
tempt  to  search  the  hut,  and  Hiram's  discomfiture. 
The  Sheriff  was  no  sooner  possessed  of  these  facts, 
which  Benjamin  related  with  all  possible  tender 
ness  to  the  Leather-stocking,  than,  snatching  up  his 
hat,  and  bidding  the  astonished  steward  to  secure 
the  doors  and  go  to  his  bed,  he  left  the  house. 

For  at  least  five  minutes  after  Richard  disap 
peared,  Benjamin  stood  with  his  arms  a-kimbo,  and 
his  eyes  fastened  on  the  door ;  when,  having  col 
lected  his  astonished  faculties,  he  prepared  to  ex 
ecute  the  orders  he  had  received. 

It  has  been  already  said  that  the  "  court  of  com 
mon  pleas  and  general  sessions  of  the  peace,"  or, 
as  it  is  commonly  called,  the  "  county  court,"  over 
which  Judge  Temple  presided,  held  one  of  its 
stated  sessions  on  the  following  morning.  The  at 
tendants  of  Richard  were  officers  who  had  come 
to  the  village  as  much  to  discharge  their  usual  du 
ties  at  this  court,  as  to  escort  the  prisoners ;  and 
the  Sheriff  knew  their  habits  too  well,  not  to  feel 
confident  he  should  find  most,  if  not  all  of  them  in 
the  public  room  of  the  jail,  discussing  the  qualities 


THE   PIONEERS.  471 

of  the  keeper's  liquors.  Accordingly  he  held  his 
way  through  the  silent  streets  of  the  village,  direct 
ly  to  the  small  and  insecure  building,  that  contain 
ed  all  the  unfortunate  debtors,  and  some  of  the  cri 
minals  of  the  county,  and  where  justice  was  ad 
ministered  to  such  unwary  applicants  as  were  so 
silly  as  to  throw  away  two  dollars,  in  order  to  ob 
tain  one  from  their  neighbours.  The  arrival  of 
four  malefactors  in  the  custody  of  a  dozen  officers, 
was  an  event,  at  that  day,  in  Templeton  ;  and 
when  the  Sheriff  reached  the  jail,  he  found  every 
indication  that  his  subordinates  intended  to  make  a 
night  of  it. 

The  nod  of  the  Sheriff  brought  two  of  his  depu 
ties  to  the  door,  who  in  their  turn  drew  off  six  or 
seven  of  the  constables.  With  this  force  Richard 
led  the  way  through  the  village,  towards  the  bank 
of  the  lake,  undisturbed  by  any  noise,  except  the 
barking  of  one  or  two  curs,  who  were  alarmed  by 
the  measured  tread  of  the  party,  and  by  the  low 
murmurs  that  run  through  their  own  numbers,  as 
a  few  cautious  questions  and  answers  were  ex 
changed,  relative  to  the  object  of  their  expedition. 
When  they  had  crossed  the  little  bridge  of  hewn 
logs  that  was  thrown  over  the  Susquehanna,  they 
left  the  highway,  and  struck  into  that  field  which 
had  been  the  scene  of  the  victory  over  the  pigeons. 
From  this  they  followed  their  leader  into  the  low 
bushes  of  pines  and  chestnuts  which  had  sprung 
up  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  where  the  plough 
had  not  succeeded  the  fall  of  the  trees,  and  soon 
entered  the  deep  forest  itself.  Here  Richard  paus 
ed,  and  collected  his  troop  around  him. 

"  I  have  required  your  assistance,  my  friends," 
he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  in  order  to  arrest  Na 
thaniel  Bumppo,  commonly  called   the   Leather 
stocking.     He  has  assaulted  a  magistrate,  and  re 


472  THE   PIONEERS. 

sisted  the  execution  of  a  search-warrant,  by  threat 
ening  the  life  of  a  constable  with  his  rifle.  In 
short,  my  friends,  he  has  set  an  example  of  rebel 
lion  to  the  laws,  and  has  become  a  kind  of  out-law. 
He  is  suspected  of  other  misdemeanors  and  offences 
against  private  rights  ;  and  I  have  this  night  taken 
on  myself,  by  the  virtue  of  my  office  of  Sheriff,  to 
arrest  the  said  Bumppo,  and  bring  him  to  the  coun 
ty  jail,  that  he  may  be  present  and  forthcoming  to 
answer  to  tnese  heavy  charges  before  the  court  to 
morrow  morning.  In  executing  this  duty,  my 
friends  and  fellow-citizens,  you  are  to  use  courage 
and  discretion.  Courage,  that  you  may  not  be 
daunted  by  any  lawless  attempts  that  this  man  may 
make  with  his  rifle  and  his  dogs,  to  oppose  you  ; 
and  discretion,  which  here  means  caution  and  pru 
dence,  that  he  may  not  escape  from  this  sudden  at 
tack — and,  for  other  good  reasons  that  I  need  not 
mention.  You  will  form  yourselves  in  a  complete 
circle  around  his  hut,  and  at  the  word  c  advance,' 
called  aloud  by  me,  you  will  rush  forward,  and, 
without  giving  the  criminal  time  for  deliberation, 
enter  his  dwelling  by  force,  and  make  him  your 
prisoner.  Spread  yourselves  for  this  purpose, 
while  I  shall  descend  to  the  shore  with  a  deputy, 
to  take  charge  of  that  point ;  and  all  communica 
tions  must  be  made  directly  to  me,  under  the  bank 
in  front  of  the  hut,  where  I  shall  station  myself, 
and  remain  in  order  to  receive  them." 

This  speech,  which  Richard  had  been  studying 
during  his  walk,  had  the  effect  that  all  similar  per 
formances  produce,  of  bringing  the  dangers  of  the 
expedition  immediately  before  the  eyes  of  his  forces. 
The  men  divided,  some  plunging  deeper  into  the 
forest,  in  order  to  gain  thei»*  stations  without  giving 
an  alarm,  and  others  continuing  to  advance,  at  a 
gait  that  would  allow  the  whole  party  to  get  in  or- 


THE    PIONEERS.  473 

der  ;  but  all  devising  the  best  plans  to  repulse  the 
attack  of  a  dog,  or  escape  a  rifle-bullet.  It  was  a 
moment  of  dread  expectation  and  interest. 

When  the  Sheriff  thought  time  enough  had 
elapsed  for  the  different  divisions  of  his  force  to  ar 
rive  at  their  stations,  he  raised  his  voice  m  the 
silence  of  the  forest,  and  shouted  the  watch-word. 
The  sounds  played  among  the  arched  branches  of 
the  trees  in  hollow  cadences ;  but  when  the  last 
sinking  tone  was  lost  on  the  ear,  in  place  of  the 
expected  howls  of  the  dogs,  no  other  noises  were 
returned  but  the  crackling  of  torn  branches  and 
dried  sticks,  as  they  yielded  before  the  advancing 
steps  of  the  officers.  Even  this  soon  ceased,  as  if 
by  a  common  consent,  when  the  curiosity  and  im 
patience  of  the  Sheriff  getting  the  complete  ascen 
dency  over  his  discretion,  he  rushed  up  the  bank, 
and  in  a  moment  stood  on  the  little  piece  of  cleared 
ground  in  front  of  the  spot  where  Natty  had  so  long 
lived.  To  his  utter  amazement,  in  place  of  the 
hut,  he  saw  only  its  smouldering  ruins ! 

The  party  gradually  drew  together  about  the  heap 
of  ashes  and  ends  of  smoking  logs,  while  a  dim  flame 
in  the  centre  of  the  ruin,  which  still  found  fuel  to 
feed  its  lingering  life,  threw  its  pale  light,  flickering 
with  the  passing  currents  of  the  air,  around  the 
circle,  now  showing  a  face  with  eyes  fixed  in 
astonishment,  and  then  glancing  to  another  counte 
nance,  leaving  the  former  shaded  in  the  obscurity 
of  night.  Not  a  voice  was  raised  in  inquiry,  nor 
an  exclamation  made  in  astonishment.  The  transi 
tion  from  excitement  to  disappointment  was  too 
powerful  in  its  effects  for  speech,  and  even  Richard 
lost  the  use  of  an  organ  that  was  seldom  known  to 
fail  him. 

The  whole  group  were  yet  in  the  fulness  of 
their  surprise,  when  a  tall  form  stalked  from  the 
40* 


474  THE    PIONEERS. 

gloom  into  the  circle,  treading  down  the  hot  ashe^ 
and  dying  embers,  with  callous  feet,  and,  standing 
over  the  light,  lifted  his  cap,  and  exposed  the  bare 
head  and  weather-beaten  features  of  the  Leather- 
stocking.  For  a  moment  he  gazed  at  the  dusky 
figures  who  surrounded  him,  more  in  sorrow  than 
in  anger,  before  he  spoke. 

"  What  would  ye  have  with  an  old  and  helpless 
man  ?"  he  said.  "  You've  driven  God's  creaters  from 
the  wilderness,  where  his  providence  had  put  them 
for  his  own  pleasure,  and  you've  brought  in  the 
troubles  and  divilties  of  the  law,  where  no  man  was 
ever  known  to  disturb  another.  You  have  driven 
me,  tbat  have  lived  forty  long  years  of  my  appoint 
ed  time  in  this  very  spot,  from  my  home  and  the 
shelter  of  my  head,  lest  you  should  put  your  wick 
ed  feet  and  wasty  ways  in  my  cabin.  You've  driven 
me  to  burn  these  logs,  under  which  I've  eaten  and 
drunk,  the  first  of  Heaven's  gifts,  and  the  other  of 
the  pure  springs,  for  the  half  of  a  hundred  years, 
and  to  mourn  the  ashes  under  my  feet,  as  a  man 
would  weep  and  mourn  for  the  children  of  his  body. 
You've  rankled  the  heart  of  an  old  man,  that  has 
never  harmed  you  or  your'n,  with  bitter  feelings 
towards  his  kind,  at  a  time  when  his  thoughts 
should  be  on  a  better  world  ;  and  you've  driven 
him  to  wish  that  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  who  never 
feast  on  the  blood  of  their  own  families,  was  his 
kindred  and  race  ;  and  now,  when  he  has  come  to 
see  the  last  brand  of  his  hut,  before  it  is  melted 
into  ashes,  you  follow  him  ur^,  at  midnight,  like 
hungry  hounds  on  the  track  of  a  worn-out  and  dy 
ing  deer  !  What  more  would  ye  have  ?  for  I  am 
here — one  to  many.  I  come  to  mourn,  not  to  fight  • 
and,  if  it  is  God's  pleasure,  work  your  will  on  me." 

When  the  old  man  ended,  he  stood,  with  the 
light  glimmering  around  his  thinly-covered  head, 


THE    PIONEERS.  475 

'coking  earnestly  at  the  group,  which  receded 
from  the  pile,  with  an  instinctive  and  involuntary 
movement,  without  the  reach  of  the  quivering  rays, 
leaving  a  free  passage  for  his  retreat  into  the  bush 
es,  where  pursuit,  in  the  dark,  would  have  been 
fruitless.  Natty  seemed  not  to  regard  this  advan 
tage,  but  stood  facing  each  individual  in  the  circle, 
in  succession,  as  if  to  see  who  would  be  the  first 
to  arrest  him.  After  a  pause  of  a  few  moments, 
Richard  began  to  rally  his  confused  faculties,  and 
advancing,  apologized  for  his  duty,  and  made  him 
his  prisoner.  The  party  now  collected,  and,  pre 
ceded  by  the.  Sheriff,  with  Natty  in  their  centre, 
they  took  their  way  towards  the  village. 

During  the  walk,  divers  questions  were  put  to 
the  prisoner  concerning  his  reasons  for  burning  the 
hut,  and  whither  Mohegan  had  retreated,  but  to  all 
of  them  he  observed  a  profound  silence,  until,  fa 
tigued  with  their  previous  duties,  and  the  lateness 
of  the  hour,  the  Sheriff  and  his  followers  reached 
the  village,  and  dispersed  to  their  several  places  of 
rest,  after  turning  the  key  of  a  jail  on  the  aged  and 
apparently  friendless  Leather-stocking. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIII. 


u  Fetch  here  the  stocks,  ho ! 

You  stubborn  ancient  knave,  you  raverend  braggart 

We'll  teach  you." 

Lear 


THE  long  days  and  early  sun  of  July  allowed 
time  for  a  gathering  of  the  interested,  before  the 
little  bell  of  the  academy  announced  that  the  ap 
pointed  hour  had  arrived  for  administering  right  to 
the  wronged,  and  punishment  to  the  guilty.  Ever 
since  the  dawn  of  day,  the  highways  and  wood- 
paths  that,  issuing  from  the  forests,  and  winding 
along  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  centered  in  Tem- 
pleton,  had  been  thronged  with  equestrians  and 
footmen,  bound  to  the  haven  of  justice.  There 
was  to  be  seen  a  well-clad  yeoman,  mounted  on  a 
sleek,  switch-tailed  steed,  ambling  along  the  high 
way,  with  his  red  face  elevated  in  a  manner  that 
said,  "  I  have  paid  for  my  land,  and  fear  no  man," 
while  his  bosom  was  swelling  with  the  conscious 
pride  of  being  one  of  the  grand  inquest  for  the 
county.  At  his  side  rode  a  companion,  his  equal 
in  independence  of  feeling,  perhaps,  but  his  infe 
rior  in  thrift,  as  in  property  and  consideration. 
This  was  a  professed  dealer  in  lawsuits — a  man 
whose  name  appeared  in  every  calendar ;  whose 
substance,  gained  in  the  multifarious  expedients 
of  a  settler's  changeable  habits,  was  wasted  in  feed- 


THE    PIONEERS.  477 

ing  the  harpies  of  the  courts.  He  was  endeavour 
ing  to  impress  the  mind  of  the  grand  juror  with  the 
merits  of  a  cause  that  was  now  at  issue.  Along 
with  these  two  was  a  pedestrian,  who,  having 
thrown  a  rifle  frock  over  his  shirt,  and  placed  his 
best  wool  hat  above  his  sunburnt  visage,  had  is 
sued  from  his  retreat  in  the  woods  by  a  footpath, 
and  was  striving  to  keep  company  with  the  others, 
at  an  unequal  gait,  on  his  way  to  hear  and  to  de 
cide  the  disputes  of  his  neighbours  as  a  petit  juror. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  streets  of  the  village  were 
filled  with  groups  of  men  with  busy  faces,  some 
talking  of  their  private  concerns,  some  listening  to 
a  popular  expounder  of  political  «reeds,  and  others 
gaping  in  at  the  open  stores,  admiring  the  finery, 
or  examining  sithes,  axes,  and  such  other  manu 
factures  as  attracted  their  curiosity  or  excited  their 
admiration.  A  few  women  were  to  be  observed 
in  the  crowd,  mostly  carrying  infants  in  their  arms, 
and  followed,  at  a  lounging,  listless  gait,  by  their 
rustic  lords  and  masters.  There  was  one  young 
couple,  in  whom  the  warmth  of  connubial  love  was 
yet  new,  walking  among  the  moving  throng,  both 
dressed  in  their  back-wood  finery,  at  a  respectful 
distance  from  each  other,  while  the  swain  directed 
the  timid  steps  of  his  bride  by  the  unbending  mo 
tions  of  an  extended  arm,  to  which  she  was  ap 
pended  by  grasping  his  thumb. 

At  the  first  stroke  of  the  bell,  Richard  issued 
from  the  front  door  of  the  "  Bold  Dragoon,"  flou 
rishing  in  his  hand  a  sheathed  sword,  that  he  was 
fond  of  saying  his  ancestors  had  carried  in  one  of 
Cromwell's  victories,  and  crying,  in  an  authorita 
tive  tone,  to  "clear  the  way  for  the  court."  The 
order  was  obeyed  promptly,  though  not  servilely  , 
the  members  of  the  crowd  nodding  familiarly  to  the 
members  of  the  procession,  as  it  passed.  A  party 


478  THE    PIONEERS. 

of  constables  with  their  staves  followed  the  Sheriff, 
preceding  Marmaduke,  and  four  plain,  grave-look 
ing  yeomen,  who  were  his  associates  on  the  bench. 
There  was  nothing  to  distinguish  these  subordinate 
judges  from  the  better  part  of  the  spectators,  ex 
cept  gravity,  which  they  affected  a  little  more  than 
common,  and  that  one  of  their  number  was  attired 
in  an  old-fashioned  military  coat,  with  skirts  that 
reached  no  lower  than  the  middle  of  his  thighs,  and 
bearing  two  little  silver  epaulettes,  not  half  so  big 
as  a  modern  pair  of  shoulder  knots.  This  gentle 
man  was  a  colonel  of  the  militia,  in  attendance  on 
a  court-martial,  who  found  leisure  to  steal  a  mo 
ment  from  his  military  to  attend  to  his  civil  juris 
diction.  But  this  incongruity  was  nothing  ;  it  ex 
cited  neither  notice  nor  comment.  Three  or  four 
clean-shaved  lawyers  followed,  as  meekly  as  if 
they  were  lambs  going  to  the  slaughter,  one  or 
two  of  whom  had  contrived  to  obtain  an  air  of  scho 
lastic  gravity,  by  wearing  spectacles.  The  rear 
was  brought  up  by  another  posse  of  constables,  and 
the  mob  followed  the  whole  into  the  room  where 
the  court  held  its  sittings. 

The  edifice  was  composed  of  a  basement  of 
squared  logs,  perforated  here  and  there  with  small 
grated  windows,  through  which  a  few  wistful  faces 
were  gazing  at  the  crowd  without,  among  which 
were  the  guilty,  downcast  countenances  of  the 
counterfeiters,  and  the. simple  but  honest  features 
of  the  Leather-stocking.  The  dungeons  were  to 
be  distinguished,  externally,  from  the  debtors' 
apartments,  only  by  the  size  of  the  apertures,  the 
thickness  of  the  grates,  and  by  the  heads  of  spikes 
that  were  driven  into  the  logs  as  a  protection 
against  the  illegal  use  of  edge-tools.  The  upper 
story  was  of  frame-work,  regularly  covered  with 
boards,  and  contained  one  room  decently  fitted  up 


THE    PIONEERS.  479 

for  the  purposes  of  justice.  A  bench  ran  along 
one  of  its  sides,  and  was  raised  on  a  narrow  plat 
form  to  the  height  of  a  man  above  the  floor,  and 
was  protected  in  front  by  a  light  railing.  In  ^ie 
centre  was  a  seat,  furnished  with  rude  arms,  ma't 
was  always  filled  by  the  presiding  judge.  In  front, 
on  a  level  with  the  floor  of  the  room,  was  a  large 
table  covered  with  green  baize,  and  surrounded  by 
benches ;  and  at  either  of  its  ends  were  placed 
rows  of  seats  rising  one  over  the  other,  for  jury 
boxes.  Each  of  these  several  divisions  was  sur 
rounded  by  a  railing.  The  remainder  of  the  room 
was  an  open  space  appropriated  to  the  spectators. 

When  the  judges  were  seated,  the  lawyers  had 
taken  possession  of  the  table,  and  the  noise  of 
moving  feet  had  ceased  in  the  area,  the  proclama 
tions  were  made  in  the  usual  form,  the  jurors  were 
sworn,  the  charge  was  given,  and  the  court  pro 
ceeded  to  hear  the  business  before  them. 

We  shall  not  detain  the  reader  with  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  captious  discussions  that  occupied  t.L/e 
court  for  the  first  two  hours.  Judge  Temple  had 
impressed  on  the  jury,  in  his  charge,  the  necessity 
for  despatch  on  their  part,  recommending  to  their 
notice,  from  motives  of  humanity,  the  prisoners  in 
the  jail,  as  the  first  objects  of  their  attention.  Ac 
cordingly,  after  the  period  we  have  mentioned  had 
elapsed,  the  cry  of  the  officer  to  "  clear  the  wTay 
for  the  grand  jury,"  announced  the  entrance  of  that 
body.  The  usual  forms  were  observed,  when  the 
foreman  handed  up  to  the  bench  two  bills,  on  both 
of  which  the  Judge  observed,  at  the  first  glance  of 
his  eye,  the  name  of  Nathaniel  Bumppo.  It  was 
a  leisure  moment  with  the  court ;  some  low  whis 
pering  passed  between  the  bench  and  the  Sheriff, 
who  gave  a  signal  to  his  officers,  and  in  a  very  few 
irjnutes  the  silence  that  prevailed  there  was  inter- 


480  THE    PIONEERS. 

rupted  by  a  general  movement  in  the  outer  crowd; 
when  presently  the  Leather-stocking  made  his  ap 
pearance,  ushered  into  the  criminal's  bar  under  the 
cu^>dy  of  two  constables.  The  hum  ceased,  the 
p'eqile  closed  into  the  open  space  again,  and  the 
silence  soon  became  so  deep,  that  the  hard  breath 
ing  of  the  prisoner  was  audible. 

Natty  was  dressed  in  his  buck-skin  garments, 
without  his  coat,  in  place  of  which  he  wore  only  a 
shirt  of  coarse  linen-check,  fastened  at  his  throat 
by  the  sinew  of  a  deer,  leaving  his  red  neck  and 
weather-beaten  face  exposed  and  bare.  It  was  the 
first  time  that  he  had  ever  crossed  the  threshold  of 
a  court  of  justice,  and  curiosity  seemed  to  be  strong 
ly  blended  with  his  personal  feelings.  He  raised 
his  eyes  to  the  bench,  thence  to  the  jury-boxes,  the 
bar,  and  the  crowd  without,  meeting  every  where 
looks  that  were  fastened  on  himself.  After  sur 
veying  his  own  person,  as  if  in  search  of  the  cause 
of  this  unusual  attraction,  he  once  more  turned  his 
face  around  the  assemblage,  and  then  opened  his 
mouth  in  one  of  his  silent  and  remarkable  laughs. 

"  Prisoner,  remove  your  cap,"  said  Judge  Tem 
ple. 

The  order  was  either  unheard  or  unheeded. 

"  Nathaniel  Bumppo,  be  uncovered,"  repeated 
the  Judge. 

"  Natty  started  at  the  sound  of  his  name,  and 
raising  his  face  earnestly  towards  the  bench,  he 
said — 

"  Anan !" 

Mr.  Lippet  arose  from  his  seat  at  the  table,  and 
whispered  in  the  ear  of  the  prisoner,  when  Natty 
gave  him  a  nod  of  assent,  and  took  the  deer-skin 
covering  from  his  head. 

"  Mr.  District  Attorney,"  said  the  Judge,  "  th. 
prisoner  is  ready  ;  we  wait  for  the  indictment." 


THE    PIONEERS.  481 

The  duties  of  the  public  prosecutor  were  dis 
charged  by  Dirck  Van  der  School,  who  adjusted 
his  spectacles,  cast  a  cautious  look  around  him  at 
his  brethren  of  the  bar,  which  he  ended  by  throw 
ing  his  head  aside  so  as  to  catch  one  glance  over 
the  glasses,  when  he  proceeded  to  read  the  bill 
aloud.  It  was  the  usual  charge  for  an  assault  and 
battery  on  the  person  of  Hiram  Doolittle,  and  was 
couched  in  the  ancient  language  of  such  instru 
ments,  especial  care  having  been  taken  by  the 
scribe  not  to  omit  the  name  of  a  single  offensive 
weapon  known  to  the  law.  When  he  had  done, 
Mr.  Van  der  School  removed  his  spectacles,  which 
he  closed  and  placed  in  his  pocket,  seemingly  for 
the  pleasure  of  again  opening  and  replacing  them 
on  his  nobe.  After  this  evolution  was  repeated 
once  or  twice,  he  handed  the  bill  over  to  Mr.  Lip- 
pet,  with  a  cavalier  air,  that  said  as  much  as  "  pick 
a  hole  in  that  if  you  can." 

Natty  listened  to  the  charge  against  him  with 
great  attention,  leaning  forward  towards  the  reader 
with  an  earnestness  that  denoted  his  interest ;  and 
when  it  was  ended,  he  raised  his  tall  body  to  the 
utmost,  and  drew  a  long  sigh.  All  eyes  were  turn 
ed  to  the  prisoner,  whose  voice  was  vainly  expect 
ed  to  break  the  stillness  of  the  room. 

"  You  have  heard  the  presentment  that  the 
grand  jury  have  made,  Nathaniel  Bumppo,"  said 
the  Judge ;  <c  what  do  you  plead  to  the  charge  ?" 

The  old  man  dropped  his  head  for  a  moment  in 
a  reflecting  attitude,  and  then  raising  it,  he  laughed 
again  before  he  answered — 

"  That  I  handled  the  man  a  little  rough  or  so,  is 

not  to  be  denied ;  but  that  there  was  occasion  to 

make  use  of  all  them  things  that  the  gentleman  has 

spoken  of,  is  downright  untrue      I  am  not  much 

41 


482  THE    PIONEERS. 

of  a  wrestler,  seeing  that  I'm  getting  old ;  but  ] 
was  out  among  the  Scotch-Irishers — lets  me  see — 
it  must  have  been  as  long  ago  as  the  first  year  of 
the  old  war" — 

"  Mr.  Lippet,  if  you  are  retained  for  the  prison 
er,"  interrupted  Judge  Temple,  "  instruct  your 
client  how  to  plead  ;  if  not,  the  court  shall  assign 
him  counsel." 

Aroused  from  studying  the  indictment  by  this 
appeal,  the  attorney  got  up,  and  after  a  short  dia 
logue  with  the  hunter  in  a  low  voice,  he  informed 
the  court  that  they  were  ready  to  proceed. 

"  Do  you  plead  guilty  or  not  guilty  ?"  said  the 
Judge. 

"  I  may  say  not  guilty  with  a  clean  conscience," 
returned  Natty;  "for  there's  no  guilt  in  doing 
what's  right;  and  I'd  rather  died  on  the  spot,  than 
had  him  put  foot  in  the  hut  at  that  moment." 

Richard  started  at  this  declaration,  and  bent  his 
eyes  significantly  on  Hiram,  who  returned  the  look 
with  a  slight  movement  of  his  eyebrows  alone. 

"  Proceed  to  open  the  cause,  Mr.  District  At 
torney,"  continued  the  Judge.  "  Mr.  Clerk,  enter 
the  plea  of  not  guilty." 

After  a  short  opening  address  from  Mr.  Van 
der  School,  Hiram  was  summoned  to  the  bar  to 
give  his  testimony.  It  was  delivered  to  the  letter, 
perhaps,  but  with  all  that  moral  colouring  which 
can  be  conveyed  under  such  expressions  as, "  think 
ing  no  harm,"  "  feeling  it  my  bounded  duty  as  a 
magistrate,7'  and  "  seeing  that  the  constable  was 
back'ard  in  the  business."  When  he  had  done, 
and  the  District  Attorney  declined  putting  any  fur 
ther  interrogatories,  Mr.  Lippet  arose,  with  an  air 
of  keen  investigation,  and  asked  the  following  ques 
tions  : 


THE    PIONEERS.  483 

"  Are  you  a  constable  of  this  county,  sir  ?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Hiram,  "  I'm  only  a  justice- 
peace." 

"  I  ask  you,  Mr.  Doolittle,  in  the  face  of  this 
court,  putting  it  to  your  conscience  and  your  know 
ledge  of  the  law,  whether  you  had  any  right  to  en 
ter  that  man's  dwelling  .?" 

"  Hem  !"  said  Hiram,  undergoing  a  violent  strug- 
;le  between  his  desire  for  vengeance  and  his  love 

r  legal  fame ;  "  I  do  suppose — that  in — that  is — 
strict  law — that  supposing — maybe  I  hadn't  a  real 
— lawful  right ; — but  as  fhe  case  was — and  Billy 
was  so  back'ard — I  might  come  for'ard  in  the  busi 
ness." 

"  I  ask  you  again,  sir,"  continued  the  lawyer, 
following  up  his  success,  "  whether  this  old,  this 
friendless  old  man,  did  or  did  not  repeatedly  forbid 
your  entrance  ?" 

"  Why,  I  must  say,"  said  Hiram,  "  that  he  was 
considerable  cross-grained  ;  not  what  I  call  clever, 
seeing  that  it  was  only  one  neighbour  wanting  to 
go  into  the  house  of  another." 

"  Oh  !  then  you  own  it  was  only  meant  foi  a 
neighbourly  visit  on  your  part,  and  without  the 
sanction  of  law.  Remember,  gentlemen,  the 
words  of  the  witness,  c  one  neighbour  wanting  to 
enter  the  house  of  another.'  Now,  sir,  I  ask  you 
if  Nathaniel  Bumppo  did  not  again  and  again  order 
you  not  to  enter  ?" 

"  There  was  some  words  passed  between  us," 
said  Hiram,  "  but  I  read  the  warrant  to  him  aloud." 

"  I  repeat  my  question ;  did  he  tell  you  not  to 
enter  his  habitation  ?" 

"  There  was  a  good  deal  passed  betwixt  us — 
but  I've  the  warrant  in  my  pocket ;  maybe  the 
court  would  wish  to  see  it  ?" 

"  Witness,"  said  Judge  Temple,  "  answer  the 


484  THE    PIONEERS. 

question  directly ;  did  or  did  not  the  prisoner  forbid 
jour  entering  his  hut  ?" 

u  Why,  I  some  think" — 

"  Answer  without  equivocation,"  continued  the 
Judge,  sternly. 

"  He  did." 

"  And  did  you  attempt  to  enter  after  this  order.''" 

"  I  did  ;  but  the  warrant  was  in  my  hand." 

"  Proceed,  Mr.  Lippet,  with  your  examination." 

But  the  attorney  saw  that  the  impression  was  in 
favour  of  his  client,  and,  waving  his  hand  with  a 
supercilious  manner,  as  if  unwilling  to  insult  the 
understanding  of  the  jury  with  any  further  defence, 
he  replied — 

"  No,  sir;  I  leave  it  for  your  honour  to  charge; 
I  rest  my  case  here." 

"  Mr.  District  Attorney,"  said  the  Judge,  "  have 
you  any  thing  to  say  ?" 

Mr.  Van  der  School  removed  his  spectacles, 
folded  them,  and  replacing  them  once  more  on  his 
nose,  eyed  the  other  bill  which  he  held  in  his  hand, 
and  then  said,  looking  at  the  bar  over  the  top  of 
his  glasses — 

"  I  shall  rest  the  prosecution  here,  if  the  court 
please." 

Judge  Temple  arose  and  began  the  charge. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury,"  he  said,  "  you  have 
heard  the  testimony,  and  I  shall  detain  you  but  a 
moment.  If  an  officer  meet  with  resistance  in  the 
execution  of  a  process,  he  has  an  undoubted  right 
to  call  any  citizen  to  his  assistance  ;  and  the  acts 
of  such  assistant  come  within  the  protection  of  the 
law.  I  shall  leave  you  to  judge,  gentlemen,  from 
the  testimony,  how  far  the  witness  in  this  prosecu 
tion  can  be  so  considered,  feeling  less  reluctance 
to  submit  the  case  thus  informally  to  your  decision 
because  there  is  yet  another  indictment  to  be  tried. 


THE    PIONEERS.  485 

Which  involves  heavier  charges  against  the  unfor 
tunate  prisoner." 

The  tone  of  Marmaduke  was  mild  and  insinuat 
ing,  and  as  his  sentiments  were  given  with  such  ap 
parent  impartiality,  they  did  not  fail  of  carrying  their 
due  weight  to  the  jury.  The  grave-looking  yeo 
men,  who  composed  this  tribunal,  laid  their  heads 
together  for  a  few  minutes,  without  leaving  their 
box,  when  the  foreman  arose,  and  after  the  forms 
of  the  court  were  duly  observed,  he  pronounced 
the  prisoner  to  be — 

"  Not  guilty." 

"You  are  acquitted  of  this  charge,  Nathaniel 
Bumppo,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  Anan  !"  said  Natty. 

"  You  are  found  not  guilty  of  striking  and  as 
saulting  Mr.  Doolittle." 

"  No,  no,  I'll  not  deny  but  that  I  took  him  a  lit 
tle  roughly  by  the  shoulders,"  said  Natty,  looking 
about  him  with  great  simplicity,  "  and  that  I — " 

"  You  are  acquitted,"  interrupted  the  Judge  ; 
"  and  there  is  nothing  further  to  be  said  or  done  in 
the  matter." 

A  look  of  joy  lighted  up  the  features  of  the  old 
man,  who  now  comprehended  the  case,  and,  plac 
ing  his  cap  eagerly  on  his  head  again,  he  threw  up 
the  bar  of  his  little  prison,  and  said  feelingly — 

"  I  must  say  this  for  you,  Judge  Temple,  that 
the  law  has  not  been  so  hard  on  me  as  I  dreaded, 
I  hope  God  will  bless  you  for  the  kind  things 
you've  done  to  me  this  day." 

But  the  staff  of  the  constable  was  opposed  to  his 
egress,  and  Mr.  Lippet  whispered  a  few  worsts  in 
his  ear,  when  the  aged  hunter  sunk  back  into  his 
place,  and,  removing  his  cap,  stroked  down  the 
remnants  of  his  gray  and  sandy  locks,  with  an  air 
of  mortification  mingled  with  submission. 
41* 


486  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Mr.  District  Attorney,"  said  Judge  Temple, 
affecting  to  busy  himself  with  his  minutes,  "  pro 
ceed  with  the  second  indictment." 

Mr.  Van  der  School  took  great  care  that  no  part 
of  the  presentment,  which  he  now  read,  should  be 
lost  on  his  auditors.  It  accused  the  prisoner  of  re 
sisting  the  execution  of  a  search-warrant,  by  force 
of  arms,  and  particularized,  in  the  vague  language  of 
the  law,  among  a  variety  of  other  weapons,  the  use 
of  the  rifle.  This  was  indeed  a  more  serious  charge 
than  an  ordinary  assault  and  battery,  and  a  corre 
sponding  degree  of  interest  was  manifested  by  the 
spectators  in  its  result.  The  prisoner  was  duly  ar 
raigned,  and  his  plea  again  demanded.  Mr.  Lippet 
had  anticipated  the  answers  of  Natty,  and  in  a 
whisper  advised  him  how  to  plead.  But  the  feel 
ings  of  the  old  hunter  were  awakened  by  some  of 
the  expressions  of  the  indictment,  and,  forgetful  of 
his  caution,  he  exclaimed — 

C1  ?Tis  a  wicked  untruth  ;  I  crave  no  man's  blood. 
Them  thieves,  the  Iroquois,  won't  say  it  to  my 
face,  that  1  ever  thirsted  after  man's  blood.  I  have 
fought  as  a  soldier  that  feared  his  Maker  and  his 
officer,  but  I  never  pulled  a  trigger  on  any  but  a 
warrior  that  was  up  and  awake.  No  man  can  say 
that  I  ever  struck  even  a  Mingo  in  his  blanket.  I 
b'lieve  there's  some  who  thinks  there's  no  God  in 
a  wilderness  !" 

"  Attend  to  your  plea,  Bumppo,"  said  the  Judge; 
"  you  hear  that  you  are  accused  of  using  your  rifle 
against  an  officer  of  justice  ;  are  you  guilty  or  not 
guilty  ?" 

By  this  time  the  irritated  feelings  of  Natty  had 
found  a  vent ;  and  he  rested  on  the  bar  for  a  mo 
ment,  in  a  musing  posture,  when  he  lifted  his 
face,  with  his  silent  laugh,  and,  pointing  to  where 
the  wood-chopper  stood,  he  said — 


THE    PIONEERS.  487 

*'  Would  Billy  Kirby  be  standing  there,  d'ye 
think,  if  I  had  used  the  rifle  ?" 

"  Then  you  deny  it,"  said  Mr.  Lippet  ;  "  you 
plead  not  guilty  ?" 

"  Sartain,"  said  Natty  ;  "  Billy  knows  that  I 
never  fired  at  all.  Billy,  do  you  remember  the 
turkey  last  winter  ?  ah  !  me  !  that  was  better  than 
common  firing ;  but  I  can't  shoot  as  I  used  to 
could." 

"  Enter  the  plea  of  not  guilty,"  said  Judge  Tem 
ple,  strongly  affected  by  the  simplicity  of  the  pri 
soner. 

Hiram  was  again  sworn,  and  his  testimony  given 
on  the  second  charge.  He  had  discovered  his 
former  error,  and  proceeded  more  cautiously  than 
before.  He  related  very  distinctly,  and,  for  the 
man,  with  amazing  terseness,  the  suspicion  against 
the  hunter,  the  complaint,  the  issuing  of  the  war 
rant,  and  the  swearing  in  of  Kirby  ;  all  of  which, 
he  affirmed,  were  done  in  due  form  of  law.  He 
then  added  the  manner  in  which  the  constable  had 
been  received ;  and  stated  distinctly,  that  Natty 
had  pointed  the  rifle  at  Kirby,  and  threatened  his 
life,  if  he  attempted  to  execute  his  duty.  All  this 
was  confirmed  by  Jotham,  who  was  observed  to 
adhere  closely  to  the  story  of  the  magistrate.  Mr. 
Lippet  conducted  an  artful  cross-examination  of 
these  two  witnesses,  but  after  consuming  much 
time,  was  compelled  to  relinquish  the  attempt  to 
obtain  any  advantage,  in  despair. 

At  length  the  district  attorney  called  the  wood- 
chopper  to  the  bar.  Billy  gave  an  extremely  con 
fused  account  of  the  affair,  although  he  evidently 
aimed  at  the  truth,  until  Mr.  Van  der  School  ad 
dressed  him,  by  asking  some  direct  questions  : — 

'"  It  appears,  from  examining  the  papers,  that 
you  demanded  admission  into  the  hut  legally  ;  so 


488  THE    PJOJVEERS. 

you  were  put  in  bodily  fear  by  his  rifle  and 
threats  ?» 

"  I  didn't  mind  them  that,  man,"  said  Billy,, 
snapping  his  fingers  ;  "  I  should  be  a  poor  stick  to 
mind  such  a  one  as  old  Leather-stocking." 

"  But  1  understood  you  to  say,  (referring  to  your 
previous  words,  (as  delivered  here  in  court,)  in 
the  commencement  of  your  testimony,)  that  you 
thought  he  meant  to  shoot  you  ?" 

"  To  be  sure  I  did ;  and  so  would  you  too,  Squire? 
if  you  had  seen  the  chap  dropping  a  muzzle  that 
never  misses,  and  cocking  an  eye  that  has  a  riate- 
ral  squint  by  long  practice.  I  thought  there  would 
be  a  dust  on't,  and  my  back  was  up  at  once  ;  but 
Leather-stocking  gi'n  up  the  skin,  and  so  the  mat 
ter  ended." 

"  Ah  !  Billy,"  said  Natty,  shaking  his  head, 
"  'twas  a  lucky  thought  in  me  to  throw  out  the 
hide,  or  there  might  have  been  blood  spilt ;  and  I'm 
sure,  if  it  had  been  your'n,  I  should  have  mourn'd 
it  sorely  the  little  while  I  have  to  stay." 

"  Well,  Leather-stocking,"  returned  Billy,  facing 
the  prisoner  with  a  freedom  and  familiarity  that  ut 
terly  disregarded  the  presence  of  the  court,  "  as 
you  are  on  the  subject,  it  may  be  that  you've  no — " 

"  Go  on  with  your  examination,  Mr.  District  At 
torney." 

That  gentleman  eyed  the  familiarity  between  his 
witness  and  the  prisoner  with  manifest  disgust,  and 
indicated  to  the  court  that  he  was  done. 

"  Then  you  didn't  feel  frightened,  Mr.  Kirby  ?'? 
said  the  counsel  for  the  prisoner. 

"  Me  !  no,"  said  Billy,  casting  his  eyes  over  his 
own  huge  frame  with  evident  self-satisfaction ;  "  I'm 
not  to  be  skeared  so  easy." 

"  You  look  like  a  hardy  man  ;  where  were  you 
born,  sir  ?" 


THE    PIONEERS.  489 

"  Varmotmt  state ;  'tis  a  raountaynious  place, 
but  there's  a  stiff  soil,  and  its  pretty  much  wooded 
with  beech  and  maple." 

"  I  have  always  heerd  so,"  said  Mr.  Lippet, 
soothingly.  "  You  have  been  used  to  the  rifle 
yourself,  in  that  country  ?" 

"  I  pull  the  second  best  trigger  in  this  county. 
I  knock  under  to  Natty  Bumppo  there,  sin'  he  shot 
the  pigeon." 

Leather-stocking  raised  his  head,  and  laughed 
again,  when  he  thrust  out  a  wrinkled  hand,  and 
said — 

"  You're  young  yet,  Billy,  and  haven't  seen  the 
matches  that  I  have ;  but  here's  my  hand ;  I  bear 
no  malice  to  you,  I  don't." 

Mr.  Lippet  allowed  this  conciliatory  offering  to 
be  accepted,  and  judiciously  paused  while  the  spi 
rit  of  peace  was  exercising  her  influence  over  the 
two  ;  but  the  Judge  interposed  his  authority  by 
saying — 

"  This  is  an  improper  place  for  such  dialogues. 
— Proceed  with  your  examination  of  this  witness, 
Mr.  Lippet,  or  I  shall  order  the  next." 

The  attorney  started,  as  if  he  were  unconscious 
of  any  impropriety,  and  continued — 

"So  you  settled  the  matter  with  Natty  amica 
bly  on  the  spot,  did  you  ?" 

"  He  gi'n  me  the  skin,  and  I  didn't  want  to  quarrel 
with  an  old  man  ;  for  my  part,  I  see  no  such  mighty 
matter  m  shooting  a  buck  !" 

"  And  you  parted  friends  ?  and  you  would  never 
have  thought  of  bringing  the  business  up  before  a. 
court,  hadn't  you  been  subpoenaed  ?" 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  ;  he  gi'n  the  skin,  and  I 
didn't  feel  a  hard  thought,  though  Squire  Doolittle 
got  some  affronted." 

"  I  have  done,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Lippet,  probably 


490  THE    PIONEERS. 

relying  on  the  charge  of  the  Judge,  as  he  again 
seated  himself,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  felt  that 
his  success  was  certain. 

When  Mr.  Van  der  School  arose  to  address  the 
jury,  he  commenced  by  saying — 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  should  have  inter 
rupted  the  leading  questions  put  by  the  prisoner's 
counsel,  (by  leading  questions  I  mean  telling  him 
what  to  say, )  did  I  not  feel  confident  that  the  law 
of  the  land  was  superior  to  any  advantages  ( I  mean 
legal  advantages)  which  he  might  obtain  by  his 
art.  The  counsel  for  the  prisoner,  gentlemen,  has 
endeavoured  to  persuade  you,  in  opposition  to  your 
own  good  sense,  to  believe  that  pointing  a  rifle  at 
a  constable  ( elected  or  deputed )  is  a  very  inno 
cent  affair ;  and  that  society  ( I  mean  the  common 
wealth,  gentlemen, )  shall  not  be  endangered  there 
by.  But  let  me  claim  your  attention,  while  we 
look  over  the  particulars  of  this  heinous  offence." 
Here  Mr.  Van  der  School  favoured  the  jury  with 
an  abridgment  of  the  testimony,  recounted  in  such 
a  manner  as  utterly  to  confuse  the  faculties  of  his 
worthy  listeners.  After  this  exhibition  he  closed 
as  follows : — "  and  now,  gentlemen,  having  thus 
made  plain  to  your  senses  the  crime  of  which  this 
unfortunate  man  has  been  guilty,  ( unfortunate  both 
on  account  of  his  ignorance  and  his  guilt, )  I  shall 
leave  you  to  your  own  consciences;  not  in  the 
least  doubting,  that  you  will  see  the  importance 
(notwithstanding  the  prisoner's  counsel  (doubtless 
relying  on  your  former  verdict)  wishes  to  appear 
so  confident  of  success)  of  punishing  the  offender, 
and  asserting  the  dignity  of  the  laws." 

It  was  now  the  duty  of  the  Judge  to  deliver  his 
charge.  It  consisted  of  a  short,  comprehensive 
summary  of  the  testimony,  laying  bare  the  artifice 
of  the  prisoner's  counsel,  and  placing  the  facts  in 


THE    PIONEERS.  491 

go  obvious  a  light,  that  they  could  not  well  be  mis-  7 
understood.  "  Living  as  we  do,  gentlemen,"  he 
concluded,  "  on  the  skirts  of  society,  it  becomes 
doubly  necessary  to  protect  the  ministers  of  the 
law.  If  you  believe  the  witnesses,  in  their  con-  N 
struction  of  the  acts  of  the  prisoner,  it  is  your  duty 
to  convict  him ;  but  if  you  believe  that  the  old  man, 
who  this  day  appears  before  you,  meant  not  to  harm 
the  constable,  but  was  acting  more  under  the  in 
fluence  of  habit  than  by  the  instigations  of  malice, 
it  will  be  your  duty  to  judge  him,  but  to  do  it  with 
lenity." 

As  before,  the  jury  did  not  leave  their  box,  but, 
after  a  consultation  of  some  little  time,  their  fore 
man  arose,  and  pronounced  the  prisoner — 

"  Guilty." 

There  was  but  little  surprise  manifested  in  the 
court  room  at  this  verdict,  as  the  testimony,  the 
greater  part  of  which  we  have  omitted,  was  too 
clear  and  direct  to  be  passed  over.  The  judges 
seemed  to  have  anticipated  this  sentiment,  for  a 
consultation  was  passing  among  them  also,  during 
the  deliberation  of  the  jury,  and  the  preparatory 
movements  of  the  "  bench"  announced  the  coming 
sentence. 

"  Nathaniel  Bumppo,"  commenced  the  Judge, 
making  the  customary  pause. 

The  old  hunter,  who  had  been  musing  again, 
with  his  head  on  the  bar,  raised  himself,  and  cried, 
with  a  prompt,  military  tone — 

"  Here." 

The  Judge  waved  his  hand  for  silence,  and  pro 
ceeded — 

"  In  forming  their  sentence,  the  court  have  been 
governed  as  much  by  the  consideration  of  your  ig 
norance  of  the  laws,  as  by  a  strict  sense  of  the  im 
portance  of  punishing  such  outrages  as  this  of  which 


492  THE    PIONEERS. 

you  have  been  found  guilty.  They  have,  there 
fore,  passed  over  the  obvious  punishment  of  whip 
ping  on  the  bare  back,  in  mercy  to  your  years 
but  as  the  dignity  of  the  law  requires  an  open  ex 
hibition  of  the  consequences  of  your  crime,  it  is  or 
dered,  that  you  be  conveyed  from  this  room  to  the 
public  stocks,  where  you  are  to  be  confined  for  one 
hour ;  that  you  pay  a  fine  to  the  state  of  one  hun 
dred  dollais;  and  that  you  be  imprisoned  in  the 
jail  of  this  county  for  one  calendar  month ;  and  fur 
thermore,  that  your  imprisonment  do  not  cease 
until  the  said  fine  shall  be  paid.  I  feel  it  my  duty, 
Nathaniel  Bumppo," — 

"  And  where  should  I  get  the  money  ?"  inter 
rupted  the  Leather-stocking,  eagerly ;  "  where 
should  I  get  the  money?  you'll  take  away  the 
bounty  on  the  painters,  because  I  cut  the  throat  of 
a  deer;  and  how  is  an  old  man  to  find  so  much 
gold  or  silver  in  the  woods  ?  No,  no,  Judge  ;  think 
better  of  it,  and  don't  talk  of  shutting  me  up  in  a 
jail  for  the  little  time  I  have  to  stay." 

"  If  you  have  any  thing  to  urge  against  the  pass 
ing  of  the  sentence,  the  court  will  yet  hear  you," 
said  the  Judge,  mildly. 

"  I  have  enough  to  say  ag'in  it,"  cried  Natty, 
grasping  the  bar  on  which  his  fingers  were  work 
ing  with  a  convulsed  motion.  "  Where  am  I  to 
get  the  money  ?  Let  me  out  into  the  woods  and 
hills,  where  I've  been  used  to  breathe  the  clear 
air,  and  though  I'm  threescore  and  ten,  if  you've 
left  game  enough  in  the  country,  I'll  travel  night 
and  day  but  I'll  make  you  up  the  sum  afore  the 
season  is  over.  Yes,  yes — you  see  the  reason  of 
the  thing,  and  the  wickedness  of  shutting  up  an 
old  man,  that  has  spent  his  days,  as  one  may  say, 
where  he  could  always  loo's  into  the  windows  of 
oaaven." 


THE    PIONEERS.  493 


"  I  must  be  governed  by  the  law"- 


"  Talk  not  to  me  of  law,  Marmaduke  Temple," 
interrupted  the  hunter.  "  Did  the  beast  of  the  fo 
rest  mind  your  laws,  when  it  was  thirsty  and  hun 
gering  for  the  blood  of  your  own  child  !  She  was 
kneeling  to  her  God  for  a  greater  favour  than  I  ask, 
and  he  heard  her  ;  and  if  you  now  say  no  to  my 
prayers,  do  you  think  he  will  be  deaf?" 

"  My  private  feelings  must  not  enter  into — " 
"  Hear  me,  Marmaduke  Temple,"  interrupted 
(he  old  man,  with  a  melancholy  tone  of  voice, 
"  and  hear  reason.  I've  travelled  these  moun 
tains  when  you  was  no  judge,  but  an  infant  in  your 
mother's  arms ;  and  I  feel  as  if  I  had  a  right  and  a 
privilege  to  travel  them  ag'in  afore  I  die.  Have 
you  forgot  the  time  that  you  come  on  to  the  lake- 
shore,  when  there  wasn't  even  a  jail  to  lodge  in ; 
and  didn't  I  give  you  my  own  bear-skin  to  sleep 
on,  and  the  fat  of  a  noble  buck  to  satisfy  the  crav 
ings  of  your  hunger  ?  Yes,  yes — you  thought  it  no 
sin  then  to  kill  a  deer !  And  this  I  did,  though  I 
had  no  reason  to  love  you,  for  you  had  never  done 
any  thing  but  harm  to  them  that  loved  and  shel 
tered  me.  And  now,  will  you  shut  me  up  in  your 
dungeons  to  pay  me  for  my  kindness  ?  A  hundred 
dollars  !  where  should  I  get  the  money  ?  No,  no — 
there's  them  that  says  hard  things  of  you,  Marma 
duke  Temple,  but  you  an't  so  bad  as  to  wish  to  see 
an  old  man  die  in  a  prison,  because  he  stood  up  for 
the  right.  Come,  friend,  'let  me  pass ;  it's  long 
sin'  I've  been  used  to  such  crowds,  and  I  crave  to 
be  in  the  woods  ag'in.  Don't  fear  me,  Judge — I 
bid  you  not  to  fear  me  ;  for  if  there's  beaver  enough 
left  on  the  streams,  or  the  buckskins  will  sell  for  a 
shilling  a-piece,  you  shall  have  the  last  penny  of 
the  fine.  Where  are  ye,  pups  !  come  away,  dogs ' 
come  away  !  we  have  a  grievous  toil  to  do  for  our 
42 


494  THE    PIONEERS. 

years,  but  it  snail  be  done — yes,  yes,  I've  promised 
it,  arid  it  shall  be  done !" 

It  is  unnecessary  to  say,  that  the  movement  of 
the  Leather-stocking  was  again  intercepted  by  the 
constable ;  but  before  he  had  time  to  speak,  a  bus 
tling  in  the  crowd,  and  a  loud  hem,  drew  all  eyes 
to  another  part  of  the  room. 

Benjamin  had  succeeded  in  edging  his  way 
through  the  people,  and  was  now  seen  balancing 
his  short  body,  with  one  foot  in  a  window  and  the 
other  on  the  railing  of  the  jury-box.  To  the 
amazement  of  the  whole  court,  the  steward  was 
evidently  preparing  to  speak.  After  a  good  deal  of 
difficulty,  he  succeeded  in  drawing  from  his  pocket 
a  small  bag,  and  then  found  utterance. 

"  If-so-be,"  he  said,  "  that  your  honour  id  agree 
able  to  trust  the  poor  fellow  out  on  another  cruise 
among  the  beasts,  here's  a  small  matter  that  will 
help  to  bring  down  the  risk,  seeing  that  there's 
just  thirty-five  of  your  Spaniards  in  it ;  and  I  wish, 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  that  they  was  raal 
British  guineas,  for  the  sake  of  the  old  boy.  But 
'tis  as  it  is ;  and  if  Squire  Dickens  will  just  be  so 
good  as  to  overhaul  this  small  bit  of  an  account,  and 
take  enough  from  the  bag  to  settle  the  same,  he's 
welcome  to  hold  on  upon  the  rest,  till  such  time  as 
the  Leather-stocking  can  grapple  with  them  said 
beaver,  or,  for  that  matter,  for  ever,  and  no  thanks 
asked." 

As  Benjamin  concluded,  he  thrust  out  the  wood 
en  register  of  his  arrears  to  the  "  Bold  Dragoon" 
with  one  hand,  while  he  offered  his  bag  of  dollars 
with  the  other.  Astonishment  at  this  singular  in 
terruption  produced  a  profound  stillness  in  the 
room,  which  was  only  interrupted  by  the  Sheriff, 
who  struck  his  sword  on  the  table,  and  cried — 

«  Silence »» 


THE    PIONEERS.  496 

"  There  must  be  an  end  to  this,"  said  the  Judge, 
struggling  to  overcome  his  feelings.  "  Constable, 
lead  the  prisoner  to  the  stocks.  Mr.  Clerk,  what 
stands  next  on  the  calendar  ?" 

Natty  seemed  to  yield  to  his  destiny,  for  he 
sunk  his  head  on  his  chest,  and  followed  the  officer 
from  the  court-room  in  silence.  The  crowd  moved 
back  for  the  passage  of  the  prisoner,  and  when  his 
tall  form  was  seen  descending  from  the  outer  door, 
a  rush  of  the  people  to  the  scene  of  his  disgrace 
followed. 


CHAPTER  XXXIY 

Ha  !  ha !  look  !  he  wears  cruel  garters 


Lear 


THE  punishments  of  the  common  law  were  still 
known,  at  the  time  of  our  tale,  to  the  people  of 
New- York ;  and  the  whipping-post,  with  its  com 
panion,  the  stocks,  were  not  yet  supplanted  by  the 
more  modern  but  doubtful  expedients  of  the  pub 
lic  prisons.  Immediately  in  front  of  the  jail  those 
relics  of  the  elder  times  were  situated,  as  a  lesson 
of  precautionary  justice  to  the  evil-doers  of  the 
settlement. 

Natty  followed  the  constables  to  this  spot,  bow 
ing  his  head  with  submission  to  a  power  that  he 
was  unable  to  oppose,  and  surrounded  by  the  crowd 
that  formed  a  circle  about  his  person  exhibiting  in 
their  countenances  a  strong  curiosity.  A  consta 
ble  raised  the  upper  part  of  the  stocks,  and  pointed 
with  his  finger  to  the  holes  where  the  old  man  was 
to  place  his  feet.  Without  making  the  least  ob 
jection  to  the  punishment,  the  Leather-stocking 
quietly  seated  himself  on  the  ground,  and  suffered 
his  limbs  to  be  laid  in  the  openings,  without  even 
a  murmur  ;  though  he  cast  one  glance  about  him, 
as  if  in  quest  of  that  sympathy  that  human  nature 
always  seems  to  require  under  suffering.  If  he 


THE    PIONEERS.  497 

met  no  direct  manifestations  of  pity,  neither  'lid  he 
see  any  savage  exultation  expressed,  nor  hear  a 
single  reproachful  epithet.  The  character  of  the 
mob,  if  it  could  be  called  by  such  a  name,  was  that 
of  attentive  subordination.- 

The  constable  was  in  the  act  of  lowering  the  up 
per  plank,  when  Benjamin,  who  had  pressed  close 
to  the  side  of  the  prisoner,  said,  in  his  hoarse  tones, 
as  if  seeking  for  some  cause  to  create  a  quarrel — 

"  Where  away,  master  constable,  is  the  use  to 
be  found  of  clapping  a  man  in  them  heie  bilboes? 
it  neither  stops  his  grog  nor  hurts  his  back  ;  what 
for  is  it  that  you  do  the  thing  ?" 

"  'Tis  the  sentence  of  the  court,  Mr.  Penguillum, 
and  there's  law  for  it,  I  s'pose." 

"  Ay,  ay,  I  know  that  there's  law  for  the  thing ; 
but  where  away  do  you  find  the  use,  I  say  ?  it  does 
no  harm,  and  it  only  keeps  a  man  by  the  heels  for 
the  small  matter  of  two  glasses." 

"  Is  it  no  harm,  Benny  Pump,"  said  Natty,  rais 
ing  his  eyes  with  a  piteous  look  to  the  face  of  the 
steward — "  is  it  no  harm  to  show  off  a  man  in  his 
seventy-first  year,  like  a  tame  bear,  for  the  settlers 
to  look  on  !  Is  it  no  harm  to  put  an  old  soldier, 
that  has  sarved  through  the  war  of  'fifty-six,  and 
seen  the  inimy  in  the  'seventy-six  business,  into  a 
place  like  this,  where  the  boys  can  point  at  him 
and  say,  I  have  known  the  time  when  he  was  a 
spictacle  for  the  country !  Is  it  no  harm  to  bring 
down  the  pride  of  an  honest  man  to  be  the  equal 
of  the  beasts  of  the  forest !" 

Benjamin  stared  about  him  fiercely,  and  could 
he  have  found  a  single  face  that  expressed  contu 
mely,  he  would  have  been  prompt  to  ouarrel  with 
its  owner  ;  but  meeting  every  where  with  looks  of 
sobriety,  and  occasionally  of  commiseration,  he 
very  deliberately  seated  himself  by  the  side  of  the 
42* 


498  THE    PIONEERS. 

hunter,  and  placing  his  legs  in  the  two  vacant  holes 
of  the  stocks,  he  said — 

"  Now  lower  away,  master  constable,  lower 
away,  I  tell  ye  !  If-so-be  there's  such  a  thing  here 
abouts  as  a  man  that  wants  to  see  a  bear,  let  him 

look  and  be  d d,  and  he  shall  find  two  of  them, 

and  mayhap  one  of  the  same  that  can  bite  as  well 
as  growl." 

"  But  I've  no  orders  to  put  you  in  the  stocks, 
Mr.  Pump,"  cried  the  constable  ;  "  you  must  get 
up,  and  let  me  do  my  duty." 

"  You've  my  orders,  and  what  do  you  need  bet 
ter  to  meddle  with  my  own  feet  ?  so  lower  away, 
will  ye,  and  let  me  see  the  man  that  chooses  to 
open  his  mouth  with  a  grin  on  it." 

"  There  can't  be  any  harm  in  locking  up  a  crea- 
ter  that  will  enter  the  pound,"  said  the  constable, 
laughing,  and  closing  the  stocks  on  them  both. 

It  was  fortunate  that  this  act  was  executed  with 
decision,  for  the  whole  of  the  spectators,  when  they 
saw  Benjamin  assume  the  position  he  took,  felt  an 
inclination  for  merriment,  which  few  thought  it  worth 
their  efforts  to  suppress.  The  steward  struggled 
violently  for  his  liberty  again,  with  an  evident  in 
tention  of  making  battle  on  those  who  stood  near 
est  to  him  ;  but  the  key  was  already  turned,  and 
all  his  efforts  were  made  in  vain. 

"  Hark  ye,  master  constable,"  he  cried,  "  just 
clear  away  your  bilboes  for  the  small  matter  of  a 
log-glass,  will  ye,  and  let  me  show  some  of  them 
there  chaps  who  it  is  that  they  are  so  merry  about." 

"  No,  no,  you  would  go  in,  and  you  can't  come 
out,"  returned  the  officer,  "  until  the  time  has  ex 
pired  that  the  Judge  directed  for  the  keeping  of 
the  prisoner." 

Benjamin,  finding  that  his  threats  and  his  strug 
gles  were  useless,  had  good  sense  enough  to  learn 


THE    PIONEERS.  491) 

patience  from  the  resigned  manner  of  his  com 
panion,  and  soon  settled  himself  down  by  the  side 
of  Natty,  with  a  contemptuousness  expressed  in 
his  hard  features,  that  showed  he  had  substituted 
disgust  for  rage.  When  the  violence  of  the  stew 
ard's  feelings  had  in  some  measure  subsided,  he 
turned  to  his  fellow-sufferer,  and,  with  a  motive 
that  might  have  vindicated  a  worse  effusion,  he 
attempted  the  charitable  office  of  consolation. 

"  Taking  it  by  and  large,  Master  Bump-ho,  'tis 
but  a  small  matter  after  all,"  he  said.  "  Now,  I've 
known  very  good  sort  of  men,  aboard  of  the  Boadi- 
shey,  laid  by  the  heels,  for  nothing,  mayhap,  but 
forgetting  that  they'd  drunk  their  allowance  already, 
when  a  glass  of  grog  has  come  in  their  way.  This 
is  nothing  more  than  riding  with  two  anchors  ahead, 
waiting  for  a  turn  in  the  tide,  or  a  shift  of  wind,  d'ye 
see,  with  a  soft  bottom  and  plenty  of  room  for  the 
sweep  of  your  hawse.  Now  I've  seen  many  a  man, 
for  over-shooting  his  reckoning,  as  I  told  ye,  moored 
head  and  starn,  where  he  couldn't  so  much  as  heave 
his  broadside  round,  and  mayhap  a  stopper  clapt  on 
his  tongue  too,  in  the  shape  of  a  pump-bolt  lashed 
athwartship  his  jaws,  all  the  same  as  an  out-rigger 
along  side  of  a  taffrel-rail." 

The  hunter  appeared  to  appreciate  the  kind  in 
tentions  of  the  other,  though  he  could  not  under 
stand  his  eloquence  ;  and  raising  his  humbled  coun 
tenance,  he  attempted  a  smile  in  vain,  as  he  said — 

"  Anan  !» 

"  'Tis  nothing,  I  say,  but  a  small  matter  of  a 
squall  that  will  soon  blow  over,"  continued  Benja 
min.  "  To  you  that  has  such  a  length  of  keel,  it 
must  be  all  the  same  as  nothing  ;  thof,  seeing  that 
I'm  a  little  short  in  my  lower  timbers,  they've 
triced  my  heels  up  aloft  in  such  a  way  as  to  give 
me  a  bit  of  a  slue.  But  what  cares  I,  Master 


500  THE    PIONEERS. 

Bump-ho,  if  the  ship  strains  a  little  at  her  anchor ; 
it's  only  for  a  dog-watch,  and  dam'me  but  she'll 
sail  with  you  then  on  that  cruise  after  them  said 
beaver.  I'm  not  much  used  to  small  arms,  seeing 
that  I  was  stationed  at  the  ammunition-boxes,  be 
ing  sum'mat  too  low-rigged  to  see  over  the  ham 
mock-cloths  ;  but  I  can  carry  the  game,  d'ye  see, 
and  mayhap  make  out  to  lend  a  hand  with  the 
traps  ;  and  if-so-be  you're  any  way  so  handy  with 
them  as  ye  be  with  your  boat-hook,  'twill  be  but  a 
short  cruise  after  all.  I've  squared  the  yards  with 
Squire  Dickens  this  morning,  and  I  shall  send  him 
word  that  he  needn't  bear  my  name  on  the  books 
again  till  such  time  as  the  cruise  is  over." 

"  You're  used  to  dwell  with  men,  Benny,"  said 
Leather-stocking,  mournfully,  "  and  the  ways  of 
the  woods  would  be  hard  on  you,  if" 

"  Not  a  bit — not  a  bit,"  cried  the  steward  ;  "  I'm 
none  of  your  fair-weather  chaps,  Master  Bump-ho, 
as  sails  only  in  smooth  water.  When  I  find  a  friend, 
I  sticks  by  him,  d'ye  see.  Now,  there's  no  better 
man  a-going  than  Squire  Dickens,  and  I  love  him 
about  the  same  as  I  loves  Mistress  Hollister's  new 
keg  of  Jamaiky."  The  steward  paused,  and  turn 
ing  his  uncouth  visage  on  the  hunter,  he  surveyed 
him  with  a  roguish  leer  of  his  eye,  and  gradually 
suffered  the  muscles  of  his  hard  features  to  relax, 
until  his  face  was  illuminated  by  the  display  of  his 
wrhite  teeth,  when  he  dropped  his  voice,  and  added 
— "  I  say,  Master  Leather-stocking,  'tis  fresher 
and  livelier  than  any  Hollands  you'll  get  in  Garn- 
sey.  But  we'll  send  a  hand  over  and  ask  the  wo 
man  for  a  taste,  for  I'm  so  jamb'd  in  these  here 
bilboes,  that  I  begin  to  want  sum'mat  to  lighten  my 
upper  works." 

Natty  sighed,  and  gazed  about  him  on  the  crowd, 
that  already  began  to  disperse,  and  which  had  now 


THE    PIONEERS.  501 

diminished  greatly,  as  its  members  scattered  in  their 
various  pursuits.  He  looked  wistfully  at  Benja 
min,  but  did  not  reply ;  a  deeply  seated  anxiety 
seeming  to  absorb  every  other  sensation,  and  to 
throw  a  melancholy  gloom  over  his  wrinkled  fea 
tures,  which  were  working  with  the  movements  of 
his  mind. 

The  steward  was  about  to  act  on  the  old  princi 
ple,  that  silence  gives  consent,  when  Hiram  Doo- 
little,  attended  by  Jotham,  stalked  out  of  the  crowd, 
across  the  open  space,  and  approached  the  stocks. 
The  magistrate  passed  by  the  end  where  Benjamin 
was  seated,  and  posted  himself,  at  a  safe  distance 
from  the  steward,  in  front  of  the  Leather-stocking. 
Hiram  stood,  for  a  moment,  cowering  before  the 
keen  looks  that  Natty  fastened  on  him,  and  suffer 
ing  under  an  embarrassment  that  was  quite  new ; 
when,  having  in  some  degree  recovered  himself, 
he  looked  at  the  heavens,  and  then  at  the  smoky 
atmosphere,  as  if  it  were  only  an  ordinary  meeting 
with  a  friend,  and  said,  in  his  formal,  hesitating 
way — 

"  Quite  a  scurcity  of  rain  lately ;  I  some  think 
we  shall  have  a  long  drought  on't." 

Benjamin  was  occupied  in  untying  his  bag  of 
dollars,  and  did  not  observe  the  approach  of  the 
magistrate,  while  Natty  turned  his  face,  in  which 
every  muscle  was  working,  away  from  him  in  dis 
gust,  without  answering.  Rather  encouraged  than 
daunted  by  this  exhibition  of  dislike,  Hiram,  after 
a  short  pause,  continued — 

"  The  clouds  look  as  if  they'd  no  water  in  them, 
and  the  earth  is  dreadfully  parched.  To  my  judg 
ment,  there'll  be  short  crops  this  season,  if  the  rain 
doos'nt  fall  quite  speedily." 

The  air  with  which  Mr.  Doolittle  delivered  this 
prophetical  opinion  was  peculiar  to  his  species.  It 


502  THE    PIONEERS. 

was  a  Jesuitical,  cold,  unfeeling,  and  selfish  manne 
that  seemed  to  say,  "  I  have  kept  within  the  law/; 
to  the  man  he  had  so  cruelly  injured.  It  quite 
overcame  the  restraint  that  the  old  hunter  had 
been  labouring  to  impose  on  himself,  and  he  burst 
out  in  a  warm  glow  of  indignation. 

"  Why  should  .the  rain  fall  from  the  clouds,"  he 
cried,  "  when  you  force  the  tears  from  the  eyes  of 
the  old,  the  sick,  and  the  poor !  Away  with  ye — 
away  with  ye  !  you  may  be  formed  in  the  image 
of  the  Maker,  but  Satan  dwells  in  your  heart.  Away 
with  ye,  I  say  !  I  am  mournful,  and  the  sight  of  ye 
brings  bitter  thoughts." 

Benjamin  ceased  thumbing  his  money,  and  raised 
his  head,  at  the  instant  that  Hiram,  who  was  thrown 
off  his  guard  by  the  invectives  of  the  hunter,  un 
luckily  trusted  his  person  within  the  reach  of  the 
steward,  who  grasped  one  of  his  legs,  with  a  hand 
that  had  the  grip  of  a  vice,  and  whirled  the  ma 
gistrate  from  his  feet,  before  he  had  either  time  to 
collect  his  senses,  or  exercise  the  strength  he  did 
really  possess.  Benjamin  wanted  neither  propor 
tions  nor  manhood  in  his  head,  shoulders,  and  arms, 
though  all  the  rest  of  his  frame  appeared  to  be  ori 
ginally  intended  for  a  very  different  sort  of  a  man. 
He  exerted  his  physical  powers,  on  the  present 
occasion,  with  much  discretion,  and  as  their  posi 
tions  were  a  great  disadvantage  to  his  antagonist, 
without  at  all  discomposing  the  steward,  the  strug 
gle  resulted,  very  soon,  in  Benjamin  getting  the 
magistrate  fixed  in  a  posture  somewhat  similar  to 
his  own,  and  manfully  placed  face  to  face. 

"  You're  a  ship's  cousin,  I  teJ  ye,  Master  Doo- 
but-little,"  roared  the  steward — "  some  such  mat 
ter  as  a  ship's  cousin,  sir.  I  know  you,  I  do,  with 
your  fair-weather  speeches  to  Squire  Dickens,  to 
his  face,  and  then  yon  go  and  sarve  out  your  gruin- 


THE    PIONEERS.  503 

bling  to  all  the  old  women  in  the  town,  do  ye.  An't 
it  enough  far  any  Christian,  let  him  harbour  never 
so  much  malice,  to  get  an  honest  old  fellow  laid  by 
the  heels  in  this  fashion,  without  carrying  sail  so 
hard  on  the  poor  dog,  as  if  you  would  run  him 
down  as  he  lay  at  his  anchors  ?  But  I've  logged 
many  a  hard  thing  against  your  name,  master,  and 
now  the  time's  come  to  foot  up  the  day's  work, 
d'ye  see ;  so  square  yourself,  you  lubber,  square 
yourself,  and  we'll  soon  know  who's  the  better 
man." 

"  Jotham  !"  cried  the  frightened  magistrate — 
u  Jotham  !  call  in  the  constables.  Mr.  Penguil- 
lium,  I  command  the  peace — I  order  you  to  keep 
the  peace." 

"  There's  been  more  peace  than  love  atwixt  us, 
master,"  cried  the  steward,  making  some  very 
equivocal  demonstrations  towards  hostility ;  "  so 
mind  yourself !  square  yourself,  I  say  !  do  you 
smell  this  here  bit  of  a  sledge-hammer  ?" 

"  Lay  hands  on  me  if  you  dare  !"  exclaimed  Hi 
ram,  as  well  as  he  could  under  the  grasp  which  the 
steward  held  on  his  throttle — "  lay  hands  on  me 
if  you  dare !" 

"  If  ye  call  this  laying,  master,  you  are  welcome 
to  the  eggs,"  roared  the  steward. 

It  becomes  our  disagreeable  duty  to  record  here, 
that  the  acts  of  Benjamin  now  became  perfectly 
unequivocal ;  for  he  darted  his  sledge-hammer  vi 
olently  on  the  anvil  of  Mr.  Doolittle's  countenance, 
and  the  place  became,  in  an  instant,  a  scene  of  tu 
mult  and  confusion.  The  crowd  rushed  in  a  dense 
circle  around  the  spot,  while  some  ran  to  the  court 
room  to  give  the  alarm,  and  one  or  two  of  the  more 
juvenile  part  of  the  multitude  had  a  desperate  trial 
of 'speed,  to  see  who  should  be  the  happy  man  to 


504  THE    PIONEERS. 

communicate  the  critical  situation  of  the  magistrate 
to  his  wife. 

Benjamin  worked  with  great  industry  and  a  good 
deal  of  skill,  at  his  occupation,  using  one  hand  to 
raise  up  his  antagonist,  while  he  knocked  him  o\er 
with  the  other ;  for  he  would  have  been  disgraced 
in  his  own  estimation,  had  he  struck  a  blow  on  a 
fallen  adversary.  By  this  considerate  arrange 
ment  he  found  means,  however,  to  hammer  the 
visage  of  Hiram  out  of  all  shape,  by  the  time  that 
Richard  succeeded  in  forcing  his  way  through  the 
throng  to  the  point  of  combat.  The  Sheriff  after 
ward  declared  that,  independent  of  his  mortifica 
tion,  as  preserver  of  the  peace  of  the  county,  at 
this  interruption  to  its  harmony,  he  was  never  so 
grieved  in  his  life,  as  when  he  saw  this  breach  of 
unity  between  his  favourites.  Hiram  had  in  some 
degree  become  necessary  to  his  vanity,  and  Ben 
jamin,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  he  really  loved. 
This  attachment  was  exhibited  in  the  first  words 
that  he  uttered. 

"  Squire  Doolittle  !  .  Squire  Doolittle !  I  am 
ashamed  to  see  a  man  of  your  character  and  office 
forget  himself  so  much  as  to  disturb  the  peace,  in 
sult  the  court,  and  beat  poor  Benjamin  in  this  man 
ner  !» 

At  the  sound  of  Mr.  Jones's  voice,  the  steward 
ceased  his  employment,  and  Hiram  had  an  opper- 
tunity  of  raising  his  discomfited  visage  towards  the 
mediator.  Emboldened  by  the  sight  of  the  Sheriff, 
Mr.  Doolittle  again  had  recourse  to  his  lungs. 

"  I'll  have  the  law  on  you  for  this,"  he  cried 
desperately  ;  "  I'll  have  the  law  on  you  for  this.  I 
call  on  you,  Mr.  Sheriff,  to  seize  this  man,  and  I 
demand  that  you  take  his  body  into  custody." 

By  this  time  Richard  was  master  of  the  true 


THE    PIONEERS.  505 

state  of  the  case,  and,  turning  to  the  steward,  he 
cried — 

"  Benjamin,  how  came  you  in  the  stocks  ?  I  al 
ways  thought  you  were  as  mild  and  docile  as  a 
lamb.  It  was  for  your  docility  that  I  most  esteem 
ed  you.  Benjamin!  Benjamin!  you  have  not  only 
disgraced  yourself,  but  your  friends,  by  this  shame 
less  conduct.  Bless  me  !  bless  me  !  Mr.  Doolit- 
tle,  he  seems  to  have  knocked  your  face  all  of  one 
side." 

Hiram  by  this  time  had  got  on  his  feet  again,  and 
without  the  reach  of  the  steward,  when  he  broke 
forth  in  violent  appeals  for  vengeance.  The  of 
fence  was  too  apparent  to  be  passed  over,  and  the 
Sheriff,  mindful  of  the  impartiality  exhibited  by 
his  cousin  in  the  recent  trial  of  the  Leather-stock 
ing,  came  to  the  painful  conclusion  that  it  was  ne 
cessary  to  commit  his  major-domo  to  prison.  As 
the  time  of  Natty's  punishment  was  expired,  and 
Benjamin  found  that  they  were  to  be  confined,  for 
that  night  at  least,  in  the  same  apartment,  he  made 
no  very  strong  objections  to  the  measure,  nor 
spoke  of  bail,  though,  as  the  Sheriff  preceded  the 
party  of  constables  that  conducted  them  to  the  jail, 
he  uttered  the  following  remonstrance  : — 

"  As  to  being  birthed  with  Master  Bump-ho  for 
a  night  or  so,  it's  but  little  I  think  of  it,  Squire 
Dickens,  seeing  that  I  calls  him  an  honest  man, 
and  one  as  has  a  handy  way  with  boat-hooks  and 
rifles  ;  but  as  for  owning  that  a  man  desarves  any 
thing  worse  than  a  double  allowance,  for  knocking 
that  carpenter's  face  a-one-side,  as  you  call  it,  I'll 
maintain  it's  ag'in  reason  and  Christianity.  If 
there's  a  blood-sucker  in  this  'ere  country,  it's  that 
ve.ry  chap.  Ay  !  I  know  him  !  and  if  he  hasn't  got 
all  the  same  as  dead-wood  in  his  head-works,  he 
knows  sum'mat  of  me.  Where's  the  mighty  harm, 
43 


506  THE    PIONEERS. 

Squire,  that  you  take  it  so  much  to  heart  ?  It's  all 
the  same  as  any  other  battle,  d'ye  see,  sir,  being 
fair  broadside  to  broadside,  only  that  it  was  fout 
at  anchor,  which  was  what  we  did  in  Port  Pray  a 
roads,  when  Suff'ring  came  in  among  us ;  and  a 
suff 'ring  time  he  had  of  it,  before  he  got  out  again." 

Richard  thought  it  unworthy  of  him  to  make  any 
reply  to  this  speech ;  but  when  his  prisoners  were 
safely  lodged  in  an  outer  dungeon,  ordering  the 
bolts  to  be  drawn  and  the  key  turned,  he  with 
drew. 

Benjamin  held  frequent  and  friendly  dialogues 
with  different  people,  through  the  iron  gratings, 
during  the  afternoon  ;  but  his  companion  paced 
their  narrow  limits,  in  his  moccasins,  with  quick, 
impatient  treads,  his  face  hanging  on  his  breast  in 
dejection,  or  when  lifted,  at  moments,  to  the  idlers 
at  the  window,  lighted,  perhaps,  for  an  instant, 
with  the  childish  aspect  of  aged  forgetfulness, 
which  would  vanish  directly  in  an  expression  of 
deep  and  obvious  anxiety. 

At  the  close  of  the  day,  Edwards  was  seen  at  the 
window,  in  close  and  earnest  dialogue  with   his 
friend  ;  and  after  he  departed,  it  was  thought  thai 
he  had  communicated  words  of  comfort  to  the  hunt 
er,  wrho  threw  himself  on  his  pallet,  and  was  soon 
in  a  deep  sleep.     The  curious  spectators  had  ex 
hausted  the  conversation  of  the  steward,  who  had 
drunk  good  fellowship  with  half  of  his  acquaint 
ance,  and  as  Natty  was  no  longer  in  motion,  b} 
eight  o'clock,  Billy  Kirby,  who  was  the  last  loun 
ger  at  the  window,  retired  into  the  "  Templetowi 
Coffee-house,"  when  Natty  rose  and  hung  a  blan 
ket  before  the  opening,  and  the  prisoners  appa 
rently  retired  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 


«  And  to  avoid  the  foe's  pursuit, 
With  spurring  put  their  cattle  to't 
And  till  all  four  were  out  of  wind, 
,  \nd  danger  too,  ne'er  look'd  behind." 

Htidibras. 


As  the  shades  of  the  evening  approached,  the 
jurors,  witnesses,  and  other  attendants  on  the  court, 
began  to  disperse,  and  before  nine  o'clock  the  vil 
lage  was  quiet,  and  its  streets  nearly  deserted.  At 
that  hour  Judge  Temple  and  his  daughter,  follow 
ed  at  a  short  distance  by  Louisa  Grant,  walked 
slowly  down  the  avenue,  under  the  slight  shadows 
of  the  young  poplars,  holding  the  following  dis 
course  : — 

"  You  can  best  soothe  his  wounded  spirit,  my 
child,"  said  Marmaduke ;  "  but  it  will  be  danger 
ous  to  touch  on  the  nature  of  his  offence ;  the  sanc 
tity  of  the  laws  must  be  respected." 

"  Surely,  sir,"  cried  the  impatient  Elizabeth, 
"  those  laws  that  condemn  a  man  like  the  Leather- 
stocking  to  so  severe  a  punishment,  for  an  oftcnce 
that  even  I  must  think  very  venial,  cannot  be  per 
fect  in  themselves." 

"  Thou  talkest  of  what  thou  dost  not  understand, 
Elizabeth,"  returned  her  father.  "  Society  can 
not  exist  without  wholesome  restraints.  Those 
restraints  cannot  be  inflicted,  without  security  and 


508  THE    PIONEERS 

respect  to  the  persons  of  those  who  administer 
them  ;  and  it  would  sound  ill  indeed  to  report,  that 
a  judge  had  extended  favour  to  a  convicted  crimi 
nal,  because  he  had  saved  the  life  of  his  child." 

"  I  see — I  see  the  difficulty  of  your  situation, 
dear  sir,"  cried  the  daughter;  "but  in  appreciating 
the  offence  of  poor  Natty,  I  cannot  separate  the 
minister  of  the  law  from  the  man." 

"  There  thou  talkest  as  a  woman,  child ;  it  is 
not  for  an  assault  on  Hiram  Doolittle,  but  for 
threatening  the  life  of  a  constable,  who  was  in  the 
performance  of" — 

"  It  is  immaterial  whether  it  be  one  or  the  other," 
interrupted  Miss  Temple,  with  a  logic  that  con 
tained  more  feeling  than  reason ;  "  I  know  Natty 
to  be  innocent,  and,  thinking  so,  I  must  think  all 
wrong  who  oppress  him." 

"  His  judge  among  the  number !  thy  father,  Eli 
zabeth  ?" 

"  Nay,  nay — nay  ;  do  not  put  such  questions  to 
me ;  give  me  my  commission,  father,  and  let  me 
proceed  to  execute  it." 

The  Judge  paused  a  moment,  smiling  fondly  on 
his  child,  and  then  dropped  his  hand  affectionately 
on  her  shoulder,  as  he  answered — 

"  Thou  hast  reason,  Bess,  and  much  of  it  too, 
but  thy  heart  lies  too  near  thy  head.  But  listen: 
in  this  pocket-book  are  two  hundred  dollars.  Go 
to  the  prison — there  are  none  in  this  place  to  harm 
thee — give  this  note  to  the  jailer,  and  when  thou 
seest  Bumppo,  say  what  thou  wilt  to  the  poor  old 
man  ;  give  scope  to  the  feelings  of  thy  warm  heart ; 
but  try  to  remember,  Elizabeth,  that  the  laws 
alone  remove  us  from  the  condition  of  the  savages; 
that  he  has  been  criminal,  and  that  his  judge  was 
thy  father." 

Miss  Temple  made  no  reply,  but  she  pressed 


THE    PIONEERS.  509 

the  band  that  held  the  pocket-hook  to  her  hosom, 
and  taking  her  friend  by  the  arm,  they  issued  to 
gether  from  the  enclosure  into  the  principal  street 
of  the  village. 

As  they  pursued  their  walk  in  silence, under  the 
row  of  houses,  where  the  deeper  gloom  of  the 
evening  effectually  concealed  their  persons,  no 
sound  reached  them,  excepting  the  slow  tread  of  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  with  the  rattling  of  a  cart,  that  were 
moving  along  the  street  in  the  same  direction  with 
themselves.  The  figure  of  the  teamster  was  just 
discernible  by  the  dim  light,  lounging  by  their  side, 
with  a  listless  air,  as  if  equally  fatigued  with  his 
beasts,  by  the  toil  of  the  day.  At  the  corner, 
where  the  jail  stood,  the  progress  of  the  ladies  was 
impeded,  for  a  moment,  by  the  oxen,  who  were 
turned  up  to  the  side  of  the  building,  and  given  a 
lock  of  hay,  which  they  had  carried  on  their  necks, 
as  a  reward  for  their  patient  labour.  The  whole 
of  this  was  so  natural,  and  so  common,  that  Eliza 
beth  saw  nothing  to  induce  a  second  glance  at  the 
team,  until  she  heard  the  teamster  speaking  to  his 
cattle  in  a  low  voice — 

"  Mind  yourself,  Brindle ;  will  you,  sir !  will 
you  !" 

The  language  itself  was  unusual  to  oxen,  with 
which  all  who  dwell  in  anew  country  are  familiar; 
but  there  was  something  in  the  voice  also,  that 
startled  Miss  Temple.  On  turning  the  corner, 
she  necessarily  approached  near  to  the  man,  and 
her  searching  look  was  enabled  to  detect  the  per 
son  of  Oliver  Edwards,  concealed  under  the  coarse 
garb  of  a  teamster.  Their  eyes  met  at  the  same 
instant,  and,  notwithstanding  the  gloom,  and  the 
enveloping  cloak  of  Elizabeth,  the  recognition  was 
mutual. 

"  Miss  Temple  »»  "  Mr.  Edwards  !»  were  ex- 
43* 


510  THE    PIONEERS. 

claimed  simultaneously,  though  a  feeling  that  seem 
ed  common  to  them  both  rendered  their  tones 
nearly  inaudible. 

"  Is  it  possible  '"  exclaimed  Edwards,  after  the 
moment  of  doubt  had  passed ;  "do  I  see  you  so 
nigh  the  jail !  but  you  are  going  to  the  Rectory,  I 
beg  pardon,  Miss  Grant,  I  believe  ;  I  did  not  re 
cognise  you  at  first." 

The  sigh  which  Louisa  uttered  was  so  faint, 
that  it  was  only  heard  by  Elizabeth,  who  replied 
quickly — 

"  We  are  going  not  only  to  the  jail,  Mr.  Ed 
wards,  but  into  it.  We  wish  to  show  the  Leather- 
stocking  that  we  do  not  forget  his  services,  and 
that,  at  the  same  time  we  must  be  just,  we  are  also 
grateful.  I  suppose  you  are  on  a  similar  errand  : 
but  let  me  beg  that  you  will  give  us  leave  to  pre 
cede  you  ten  minutes.  Good  night,  sir ;  I — I — 
am  quite  sorry,  Mr.  Edwards,  to  see  you  reduced 
to  such  labour  ;  I  am  sure  my  father  would — " 

"  I  shall  wait  your  pleasure,  madam,"  inter 
rupted  the  youth,  coldly.  "  May  I  beg  that  you 
will  not  mention  my  being  here  ?" 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  said  Elizabeth,  returning  his 
bow  by  a  slight  inclination  of  her  head,  and  urging 
the  tardy  Louisa  forward.  As  they  entered  the 
jailer's  house,  however,  Miss  Grant  found  leisure 
to  whisper — 

"  Would  it  not  be  well  to  offer  part  of  your 
money  to  Oliver  ?  half  of  it  will  pay  the  fine  of 
Bumppo  ;  and  he  is  so  unused  to  hardships  !  I 
am  sure  my  father  will  subscribe  much  of  his  little 
pittance,  to  place  him  in  a  station  that  is  more  wor 
thy  of  him." 

The  involuntary  smile  that  passed  over  the  fea 
tures  of  Elizabeth  was  transient  as  a  gleam  of  flit 
ting  light,  and  was  blended  with  an  expression  of 


THE    PIONEERS.  -511 

4eep  and  heart-felt  pity.  She  did  nut  reply,  how 
ever,  and  the  appearance  of  the  jailer  soon  re 
called  the  thoughts  of  both  to  the  immediate  object 
of  their  visit. 

The  rescue  of  the  ladies,  and  their  consequent 
interest  in  his  prisoner,  together  with  the  informal 
manners  that  prevailed  in  the  country,  all  united 
to  prevent  any  surprise,  on  the  part  of  the  jailer, 
at  their  request  for  admission  to  Bumppo.  The 
note  of  Judge  Temple,  however,  would  have  si 
lenced  all  objections,  if  he  had  felt  them,  and  he 
led  the  way  without  hesitation  to  the  apartment 
that  held  the  prisoners.  The  instant  the  key  was 
put  into  the  lock,  the  hoarse  voice  of  Benjamin 
was  heard,  demanding — 

"  Yo  !  hoy !  who  comes  there  ?" 

"  Some  visiters  that  you'll  be  glad  to  see,"  re 
turned  the  jailer.  "  What  have  you  done  to  the 
lock,  that  it  wo'n't  turn  ?" 

"  Handsomely,  handsomely,  master,"  cried  the 
steward  ;  "  I've  just  drove  a  nail  into  a  birth  along 
side  of  this  here  bolt,  as  a  stopper,  d'ye  see,  so  that 
master  Doo-but-little  can't  be  running  in  and 
breezing  up  another  fight  atwixt  us ;  for,  to  my  ac 
count,  there'll  be  but  a  ban-yan  with  me  soon,  see 
ing  that  they'll  mulct  me  of  my  Spaniards,  all  the 
same  as  if  I'd  overflogged  the  lubber.  Throw  your 
ship  into  the  wind,  and  lay  by  for  a  small  matter, 
will  ye  ?  and  I'll  soon  clear  a  passage." 

The  sounds  of  hammering  gave  an  assurance  that 
the  steward  was  in  earnest,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
lock  yielded,  when  the  door  was  opened. 

Benjamin  had  evidently  been  anticipating  the 
seizure  of  his  money,  for  he  had  made  frequent  de 
mands  on  the  favourite  cask  at  the  "  Bold  Dragoon," 
during  the  afternoon  and  evening,  and  was  now  in 
that  state  which  by  marine  imagery  is  called  "  half- 


512  THE    PIONEERS 

seas-over."  It  was  no  easy  thing  to  destroy  the 
balance  of  the  old  tar  by  the  effects  of  liquor,  for, 
as  he  expressed  it  himself,  "  he  was  too  low-rigged 
not  to  carry  sail  in  all  weathers ;"  but  he  was  pre 
cisely  in  that  condition  which  is  so  expressively 
termed  "  muddy."  When  he  perceived  who  the 
visiters  were,  he  retreated  to  the  side  of  the  room 
where  his  pallet  lay,  and,  regardless  of  the  presence 
of  his  young  mistress,  seated  himself  on  it  with  an 
air  of  great  sobriety,  placing  his  back  firmly  against 
the  wall. 

"  If  you  undertake  to  spoil  my  locks  in  this  man 
ner,  Mr.  Pump,"  said  the  jailer,  "  I  shall  put  a 
stopper,  as  you  call  it,  on  your  legs,  and  tie  you 
down  to  your  bed." 

"  What  for  should  ye,  Master  ?"  grumbled  Ben 
jamin  ;  "  Pve  rode  out  one  squall  to-day,  anchored 
by  the  heels,  and  I  wants  no  more  of  them.  Where's 
the  harm  of  doing  all  the  same  as  yourself?  Leave 
that  there  door  free  outboard,  and  you'll  find  no 
locking  inboard,  I'll  promise  ye." 

"  I  must  shut  up  for  the  night  at  nine,"  said  the 
jailer,  "  and  it's  now  forty-two  minutes  past  eight." 
He  placed  the  little  candle  he  carried  on  a  rough 
pine  table,  and  withdrew. 

"  Leather-stocking  !"  said  Elizabeth,  when  the 
key  of  the  door  was  turned  on  them  again,  "  my 
good  friend  Leather-stocking  !  I  have  come  on  a 
message  of  gratitude  to  you.  Had  you  submitted 
to  the  search,  worthy  old  man,  the  death  of  the 
deer  would  have  been  a  trifle,  and  all  would  have 
been  well — " 

"  Submit  to  the  sarch  !"  interrupted  Natty, 
raising  his  face  from  resting  on  his  knees,  without 
rising  from  the  corner  where  he  had  seated  him 
self  ;  "  d'ye  think,  gal,  I  would  let  such  a  varmint 
into  my  hut  ?  No,  no — I  wouldn't  have  opened 


THE    PIONEERS.  513 

the  door  to  your  own  sweet  countenance  then.  But 
they  are  wilcome  to  sarch  among  the  coals  and 
ashes  now  ;  they'll  find  only  some  such  heap  as  is 
to  be  seen  at  every  pot-ashery  in  the  mountains." 

The  old  man  dropped  his  face  again  on  one  hand, 
and  seemed  to  be  lost  in  a  melancholy  musing. 

"  The  hut  can  be  rebuilt,  and  made  better  than 
before,"  returned  Miss  Temple  ;  "  and  it  shall  be 
my  office  to  see  it  done,  when  your  imprisonment 
is  ended." 

"  Can  ye  raise  the  dead,  child  ?"  said  Natty,  in  a 
sorrowful  voice  ;  "  can  ye  go  into  the  place  where 
you've  laid  your  fathers,  and  mothers,  and  chil 
dren,  and  gather  together  their  ashes,  and  make 
the  same  men  and  women  of  them  as  afore  ?  You 
do  not  know  what  'tis  to  lay  your  head  for  more 
than  forty  years  under  the  cover  of  the  same  logs, 
and  to  look  on  the  same  things  for  the  better  part 
of  a  man's  life.  You  are  young  yet,  child,  but  you 
are  one  of  the  most  precious  of  God's  creaters.  I 
had  a  hope  for  ye  that  it  might  come  to  pass,  but 
it's  all  over  now  ;  this  put  to  that,  will  drive  the 
thing;  quite  out  of  his  mind  for  ever." 

Miss  Temple  must  have  understood  the  meaning 
of  the  old  man  better  than  the  other  listeners ;  for, 
while  Louisa  stood  innocently  by  her  side,  com 
miserating  the  griefs  of  the  hunter,  the  heiress  bent 
her  head  aside,  so  as  to  conceal  her  features  from 
the  dim  light,  by  her  dark  tresses.  The  action  and 
the  feeling  that  caused  it  lasted  but  a  moment, 
when  she  faced  the  party,  and  continued — 

"  Other  logs,  and  better,  though,  can  be  had,  and 
shall  be  found  for  you,  my  old  defender.  Your  con 
finement  will  soon  be  over,  and,  before  that  time  ar 
rives,  I  shall  have  a  house  prepared  for  you,  where 
you  may  spend  the  close  of  your  harmless  life  in 
ease  and  plenty." 


514  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Ease  and  plenty  !  house  !"  repeated  Natty, 
slowly.  You  mean  well,  gal,  you  mean  well,  and 
I  quite  mourn  that  it  cannot  be  ;  but  he  has  seen 
me  a  sight  and  a  laughing-stock  for" 

"  Damn  your  stocks,"  said  Benjamin,  flourishing 
his  bottle  with  one  hand,  from  which  he  had  been 
taking  hasty  and  repeated  draughts,  while  he  made 
gestures  of  disdain  with  the  other ;  "  who  cares  for 
his  bilboes  ?  there's  a  leg  that's  been  stuck  up  an 
end  like  a  gib-boom  for  an  hour,  d'ye  see,  and 
what's  it  the  worse  for't,  ha  !  canst  tell  me,  what's 
it  the  worser,  ha  ?" 

"  I  believe  you  forget,  Mr.  Pump,  in  whose  pre 
sence  you  sit  with  so  much  composure,"  said  Eli 
zabeth. 

"  Forget  you,  Miss  'Lizzy,"  returned  the  stew 
ard  ;  "  if  I  do  dam'me  ;  "  you're  not  to  be  forgot, 
like  Goody  Pretty-bones,  up  at  the  big  house  there. 
T  say,  old  sharp-shooter,  she  may  have  pretty 
bones,  but  I  can't  say  so  much  for  her  flesh,  d'ye  see, 
for  she  looks  sum'mat  like  an  otomy  with  another 
man's  jacket  on.  Now,  for  the  skin  of  her  face, 
it's  all  the  same  as  a  new  top-sail  with  a  taught 
bolt-rope,  being  snug  at  the  leaches,  but  all  in  a 
bight  about  the  inner  cloths." 

"  Peace — I  command  you  to  be  silent,  sir  !"  said 
Elizabeth. 

"  Ay,  ay,  ma'am,"  returned  the  steward.  cc  You 
didn't  say  I  shouldn't  drink,  though." 

"  We  will  not  speak  of  what  is  to  become  of 
others,"  said  Miss  Temple,  turning  again  to  the 
hunter — "  but  of  your  own  fortunes,  Natty.  It  shall 
be  my  care  to  see  that  you  pass  the  rest  of  your 
days  in  ease  and  plenty." 

"  Ease  and  plenty !"  again  repeated  the  Leather- 
stocking — "  what  ease  can  there  be  to  an  old  man, 
who  must  walk  a  mile  across  the  open  fields,  before 


THE    PIONEERS,  -515 

lie  can  find  a  shade  to  hide  him  from  a  scorching 
sun  !  or  what  plenty  is  there  where  you  may  hunt 
a  day,  and  not  start  a  buck,  or  see  any  thing  bigger 
than  a  mink,  or  maybe  a  stray  fox  !  Ah  !  I  shall 
have  a  hard  time  after  them  very  beavers,  for  this 
fine.  I  must  go  low  toward  the  Pennsylvany  line 
in  sarch  of  the  creaters,  maybe  a  hundred  mile,  for 
they  are  not  to  be  got  here-away.  No,  no — your 
betterments  and  clearings  have  druv  the  knowing 
things  out  of  the  country  ;  and  instead  of  beaver- 
dams,  which  is  the  nater  of  the  animal,  and  accord 
ing  to  Providence,  you  turn  back  the  waters  over 
the  low  grounds  with  your  mill-dams,  as  if  'twas  in 
man  to  stay  the  drops  from  going  where  He  wills 
them  to  go. — Benny,  unless  you  stop  your  hand 
from  going  so  often  to  your  mouth,  you  won't  be 
ready  to  start  when  the  time  comes." 

"  Hark'ee,  Master  Bump-ho,"  said  the  steward  ; 
"  don't  you  fear  for  Ben.  When  the  watch  is  call 
ed,  set  me  on  my  legs,  and  give  me  the  bearings 
and  distance  of  where  you  want  to  steer,  and  I'll 
carry  sail  with  the  best  of  you,  I  will." 

"  The  time  has  come  now,"  said  the  hunter,  lis 
tening  ;  "  I  hear  the  horns  of  the  oxen  rubbing  ag'in 
the  side  of  the  jail." 

"  Well,  say  the  word,  and  then  heave  ahead, 
shipmate,"  said  Benjamin. 

"  You  won't  betray  us,  gal  ?"  said  Natty,  look 
ing  up  simply  into  the  face  of  Elizabeth — "  you 
won't  betray  an  old  man,  who  craves  to  breathe  the 
clear  air  of  heaven  ?  I  mean  no  harm,  and  if  the 
-aw  says  that  I  must  pay  the  hundred  dollars,  I'll 
take  the  season  through,  but  it  shall  be  forthcom 
ing  ;  and  this  good  man  will  help  mo." 

"  You  catch  them,"  said  Benjamin,  with  a  sweep 
ing  gesture  of  his  arm,  "  and  if  they  get  away 
again,  call  me  a  slink,  that's  all." 


THE    PIONEERS 

"  But  what  mean  you !"  cried  the  wondering 
Elizabeth.  "  Here  you  must  stay  for  thirty  days ; 
but  J  have  the  money  for  your  fine  in  this  purse. 
Take  it ;  pay  it  in  the  morning,  and  summon  pa 
tience  for  your  month.  1  will  come  often  to  see 
you.  with  my  friend  ;  we  will  make  up  your  clothes 
with  our  own  hands  ;  indeed,  indeed,  you  shall  be 
comfortable." 

"  Would  ye,  children  ?"  said  Natty,  advancing 
across  the  floor  with  an  air  of  kindness,  and  taking 
the  hand  of  Elizabeth ;  "  would  ye  be  so  kearful 
of  an  old  man,  and  just  for  shooting  the  beast  which 
cost  him  nothing  ?  Such  things  doesn't  run  in  the 
blood,  I  believe,  for  you  seem  not  to  forget  a  fa 
vour.  Your  little  fingers  couldn't  do  much  on  a 
buck-skin,  nor  be  you  used  to  such  a  thread  as 
sinews.  But  if  he  hasn't  got  past  hearing,  he  shal) 
hear  it  and  know  it,  that  he  may  see,  like  me,  there 
is  some  who  know  how  to  remember  a  kindness." 

"  Tell  him  nothing,"  cried  Elizabeth,  earnestly ; 
"  if  you  love  me,  if  you  regard  my  feelings,  tell 
Jiim  nothing.  It  is  of  yourself  only  I  would  talk, 
and  foi  yourself  only  I  act.  I  grieve,  Leather- 
stocking,  that  the  law  requires  that  you  should  be 
detained  here  so  long  ;  but,  after  all,  it  will  be  only 
a  short  month,  and — " 

"  A  month  !"  exclaimed  Natty,  opening  his 
mouth  with  his  usual  laugh  ;  "  not  a  day,  nor  a 
night,  nor  an  hour,  gal.  Judge  Temple  may  sin- 
tence,  but  he  can't  keep,  without  a  better  dungeon 
than  this.  I  was  taken  once  by  the  French,  and  , 
they  put  sixty- two  of  u&  in  a  block-house,  nigh 
hand  to  old  Frontinac  ;  but  'twas  easy  to  cut  through 
a  pine  log -to  them  that  was  used  to  timber."  The 
hunter  paused,  and  looked  cautiously  around  the 
room,  when,  laughing  again,  he  shoved  the  stew 
ard  gently  from  his  post,  and  removing  the  bed- 


THE    PIONEERS. 


517 


clothes,  discovered  a  hole  recently  cut  in  the  logs 
with  a  rnallet  and  chisel.  "  It's  only  a  kick,  and 
the  outside  piece  is  off,  and  then — 

"  Off!  ay,  off !"  cried  Benjamin,  rousing  from 
his  stupor ;  "  well,  here's  off.  Ay  !  ay  !  you  catch 
'em,  and  I'll  hold  on  to  them  said  beaver-hats." 

"  I  fear  this  lad  will  trouble  me  much,"  said 
Natty  ;  "  'twill  be  a  hard  pull  for  the  mountain, 
should  they  take  the  scent  soon,  and  he  is  not  in  a 
state  of  mind  to  run." 

"  Run  !"  echoed  the  steward  ;  "  no,  sheer  along 
side,  and  let's  have  a  fight  of  it." 

"  Peace  !"  ordered  Elizabeth. 

"  Ay,  ay,  ma'am." 

"  You  will  not  leave  us,  surely,  Leather-stock 
ing,"  continued  Miss  Temple  ;  u  I  beseech  you, 
reflect  that  you  will  be  driven  to  the  woods  en 
tirely,  and  that  you  are  fast  getting  old.  Be  pa 
tient  for  a  little  time,  when  you  can  go  abroad 
openly,  and  with  honour." 

"  Is  there  beaver  to  be  catched  here,  gal  ?" 

"  If  not,  here  is  money  to  discharge  the  fine, 
and  in  a  month  you  are  free.  See,  here  it  is  in  gold." 

"  Gold !"  said  Natty,  with  a  kind  of  childish 
curiosity ;  "  its  long  sin'  I've  seen  a  gold  piece. 
We  used  to  get  the  broad  joes,  in  the  old  war,  as 
plenty  as  the  bears  be  now.  I  remember  there 
was  a  man  in  Dieskau's  army,  that  was  killed,  who 
had  a  dozen  of  the  shining  things  sewed  up  in  his 
shirt.  I  didn't  handle  them  myself,  but  I  seen 
them  cut  out,  with  my  own  eyes ;  they  was  big 
ger  and  brighter  than  them  be." 

"  These  are  English  guineas,  and  are  yours," 
said  Elizabeth  ;  "  an  earnest  of  what  shall  be  done 
ror  you." 

•"  Me  !  why  should  you  give  me  this  treasure  ?w 
-aid  Natty,  looking  earnestly  at  the  maiden 
44 


518  THE    PIO>'»ERS. 

"  Why!  have  you  not  saved  my  life?  did  you 
not  rescue  me  from  the  jaws  of  the  beast  ?"  ex 
claimed  Elizabeth,  veiling  her  eyes,  as  if  to  hide 
some  hideous  object  from  her  view. 

The  hunter  took  the  money,  and  continued  turn 
ing  it  in  his  hand  for  some  time,  piece  by  piece, 
talking  aloud  during  the  operation. 

"  There's  a  rifle,  they  say,  out  on  the  Cherry 
Valley,  that  will  carry  a  hundred  rods  and  kill. 
I've  seen  good  guns  in  my  day,  but  none  quite 
equal  to  that.  A  hundred  rods  with  any  sartainty 
is  great  shooting  !  Well,  well — I'm  old,  and  the 
gun  I  have  will  answer  my  time.  Here,  child, 
take  back  your  gold.  But  the  hour  has  come  ;  I 
hear  him  talking  to  the  cattle,  and  I  must  be  go 
ing.  You  won't  tell  of  us,  gal — you  won't  tell  of 
us,  will  ye  ?" 

"  Tell  of  you  !"  echoed  Elizabeth,—"  But  take 
the  money,  old  man  ;  take  the  money,  even  if  you 
go  into  the  mountains." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Natty,  shaking  his  head  kindly ; 
"  I  wouldn't  rob  you  so  for  twenty  rifles.  But 
there's  one  thing  you  can  do  for  me,  if  ye  will,  that 
no  other  is  at  hand  to  do." 

"  Name  it — name  it." 

"  Why,  it's  only  to  buy  a  canister  of  powder  ; — 
'twill  cost  two  silver  dollars.  Benny  Pump  has 
the  money  ready,  but  we  daren't  come  into  the 
town  to  get  it.  Nobody  has  it  but  the  French 
man.  'Tis  of  the  best,  and  just  suits  a  rifle.  Will 
you  get  it  for  me,  gal  ? — say,  will  you  get  it  for 
me  ?" 

"  Will  I !  I  will  bring  it  to  you,  Leather-stock 
ing,  though  I  toil  a  day  in  quest  of  you  through 
the  woods.  But  where  shall  I  find  you,  and  how  ?" 

"  Where  !"  said  Natty,  musing  a  moment — "  to 
morrow,  on  the  Vision  ;  on  the  very  top  of  the  Vi- 


THE    PIONEERS.  519 

sion,  I'll  meet  you,  child,  just  as  the  sun  gets  over 
our  heads.  See  that  it's  the  fine  grain  ;  you'll 
know  it  by  the  gloss,  and  the  price." 

"  I  will  do  it,"  said  Elizabeth,  firmly. 

Natty  now  seated  himself,  and,  placing  his  feet 
in  the  hole,  with  a  slight  effort  he  opened  a  pass 
age  through  into  the  street.  The  ladies  heard  the 
rustling  of  hay,  and  well  understood  the  reason 
why  Edwards  was  in  the  capacity  of  a  teamster. 

"  Come,  Benny,"  said  the  hunter ;  "  'twill  be 
no  darker  to-night,  for  the  moon  will  rise  in  an 
hour." 

"  Stay!"  exclaimed  Elizabeth;  "it  should  not 
be  said  that  you  escaped  in  the  presence  of  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Temple.  Return,  Leather-stock 
ing,  and  let  us  retire,  before  you  execute  your 
plan." 

Natty  was  about  to  reply,  when  the  approaching 
footsteps  of  the  jailer  announced  the  necessity  of 
his  immediate  return.  He  had  barely  time  to  re 
gain  his  feet,  and  to  conceal  the  hole  with  the  bed 
clothes,  across  which  Benjamin  very  opportunely 
fell,  before  the  key  was  turned,  and  the  door  of 
the  apartment  opened. 

"  Isn't  Miss  Temple  ready  to  go  ?"  said  the  civil 
jailer — "  it's  the  usooal  hour  for  locking  up." 

"  I  follow  you,  sir,"  returned  Elizabeth,  "  Good 
night,  Leather-stocking." 

"  It's  a  fine  grain,  gal,  and  I  think  'twill  carry 
lead  further  than  common.  I  am  getting  old,  and 
can't  follow  up  the  game  with  the  step  that  1  used 
to  could." 

Miss  Temple  waved  her  hand  for  silence,  and 
preceded  Louisa  and  the  keeper  from  the  apart 
ment.  The  man  turned  the  key  once,  and  ob 
served  that  he  would  return  and  secure  his  prison 
ers,  when  he  had  lighted  the  ladies  to  the  street. 


520  THE    PIONEERS. 

Accordingly,  they  parted  at  the  door  of  the  build 
ing,  when  the  jailer  retired  to  his  dungeons,  and 
the  ladies  walked,  with  throbbing  hearts,  towards 
the  corner. 

"  Now  the  Leather-stocking  refuses  the  money," 
whispered  Louisa,  "  it  can  all  be  given  to  Mr.  Ed 
wards,  and  that  added  to" — 

"  Listen  !"  said  Elizabeth ;  "  I  hear  the  rustling 
of  the  hay;  they  are  escaping  at  this  moment. 
Oh !  they  will  be  detected  instantly  !" 

By  this  time  they  were  at  the  corner,  where  Ed 
wards  and  Natty  were  in  the  act  of  drawing  the  al 
most  helpless  body  of  Benjamin  through  the  aper 
ture.  The  oxen  had  started  back  from  their  hay, 
and  were  standing  with  their  heads  down  the 
street,  leaving  room  for  the  party  to  act  in. 

"  Throw  the  hay  into  the  cart,"  said  Edwards, 
"  or  they  will  suspect  how  it  has  been  done. 
Quick,  that  they  may  not  see  it." 

Natty  had  just  returned  from  executing  this  or 
der,  when  the  light  of  the  keeper's  candle  shone 
through  the  hole,  and  instantly  his  voice  was  heard 
in  the  jail,  exclaiming  for  his  prisoners. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  now  ?"  said  Edwards— 
"  this  drunken  fellow  will  cause  our  detection,  and 
we  have  not  a  moment  to  spare." 

"  Who's  drunk,  ye  lubber  !"  muttered  the  stew 
ard. 

"  A  break-jail !  a  break-jail !"  shouted  five  or 
six  voices  from  within. 

"  We  must  leave  him,"  said  Edwards. 

"'Twouldn't  be  kind,  lad,"  returned  Natty; 
"  he  took  half  the  disgrace  of  the  stocks  on  him 
self  to-day,  and  the  creater  has  feeling." 

At  this  moment  two  or  three  men  were  heard 
issuing  from  the  door  of  the  "  Bold  Dragoon,"  and 
among  them  the  voice  of  Billy  Kirby. 


THE    PIONEERS.  521 

"  There's  no  moon  yet,"  cried  the  wood-chop 
per  ;  "  but  it's  a  clear,  moonshiny  night.  Come, 
who's  for  home  ?  Hark !  what  a  rumpus  they're 
kicking  up  in  the  jail — here's  go  and  see  what  it's 
about." 

"  We  shall  be  lost,"  said  Edwards, "  if  we  don't 
drop  this  man." 

At  that  instant  Elizabeth  moved  close  to  him, 
and  said  rapidly,  in  a  low  voice — 

"  Lay  him  in  the  cart,  and  start  the  oxen ;  no  one 
will  look  there." 

"  By  heaven,  there's  a  woman's  quickness  in 
the  thought,"  said  the  youth. 

The  proposition  was  no  sooner  made  than  exe 
cuted.  The  steward  was  seated  on  the  hay,  and 
bid  to  hold  his  peace,  and  apply  the  goad  that  was 
placed  in  his  hand,  while  the  oxen  were  urged  on. 
So  soon  as  this  arrangement  was  completed,  Ed 
wards  and  the  hunter  stole  along  the  houses  for  a 
short  distance,  when  they  disappeared  through  an 
opening  that  led  into  the  rear  of  the  buildings.  The 
oxen  were  in  brisk  motion,  and  presently  the  cries 
of  pursuit  were  heard  in  the  street.  The  ladies 
quickened  their  pace,  with  a  wish  to  escape  the 
crowd  of  constables  and  idlers  that  were  approach 
ing,  some  execrating,  and  some  laughing  at  the  ex 
ploit  of  the  prisoners.  In  the  confusion,  the  voice 
of  Kirby  was  plainly  distinguishable  above  all  the 
others,  shouting  and  swearing  that  he  would  have 
the  fugitives,  threatening  to  bring  back  Natty  in 
one  pocket  and  Benjamin  in  the  other. 

"  Spread  yourselves,  men,"  he  cried,  as  he  pass 
ed  the  ladies,  with  his  heavy  feet  sounding  along 
.he  street  like  the  tread  of  a  dozen  ;  "  spread  your 
selves  ;  to  the  mountains ;  they'll  be  in  the  moun 
tain*  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  then  look  out  for  a 
long  rifle." 

44  * 


522  THE    PIONEERS. 

His  cries  were  echoed  from  twenty  mouths,  foi 
not  only  the  jail,  but  the  taverns  had  sent  fouth  their 
numbers,  some  earnest  in  the  pursuit,  and  others 
joining  it  as  in  sport. 

As  Elizabeth  turned  in  at  her  father's  gate,  she 
saw  the  wood-chopper  stop  at  the  cart,  when  she 
gave  Benjamin  up  for  lost.  While  they  were  hur 
rying  up  the  walk,  two  figures,  stealing  cautiously 
but  quickly  under  the  shades  of  the  trees,  met  the 
eyes  of  the  ladies,  and  in  a  moment  Edwards  and 
the  hunter  crossed  their  path. 

"  Miss  Temple,  I  may  never  see  you  again,"  ex 
claimed  the  youth  ;  "  let  me  thank  you  for  all  your 
kindness  ;  you  do  not,  cannot  know,  my  motives." 

"  Fly  !  fly  !"  cried  Elizabeth—"  the  village  is 
alarmed.  Do  not  be  found  conversing  with  me  at 
such  a  moment,  and  in  these  grounds." 

"  Nay,  I  must  speak,  though  detection  were  cer 
tain." 

"  Your  retreat  to  the  bridge  is  already  cut  off; 
before  you  can  gain  the  wood  your  pursuers  will 
be  there.— If" 

u  If  what  ?"  cried  the  youth.  "  Your  advice  has 
saved  me  once  already  ;  I  will  follow  it  to  death." 

"  The  street  is  now  silent  and  vacant,"  said  Eli 
zabeth,  after  a  pause  ;  "  cross  it,  and  you  will  find 
my  father's  boat  in  the  lake.  .  It  would  be  easy  for 
you  to  land  from  it  where  you  pleased  in  the 
hills." 

"  But  Judge  Temple  might  complain  of  the  tres 
pass." 

"  His  daughter  shall  be  accountable,  sir." 

The  youth  uttered  something  in  a  low  voice,  that 
was  heard  only  by  Elizabeth,  and  turned  to  exe 
cute  what  she  had  suggested.  As  they  were  sepa 
rating,  Natty  approached  the  heiress,  and  said— 

"  You'll  remember  the  canister  of  powder,  chil- 


THE    PIONEERS.  523 

dren.  Them  beavers  must  be  had,  and  I  and  the 
pups  be  getting  old  ;  we  want  the  best  of  ammu 
nition." 

"  Come,  Natty,"  said  Edwards,  impatiently. 

"  Coining,  lad,  coming.  God  bless  you,  young 
ones,  both  of  ye,  for  ye  mean  well  and  kindly  to 
the  old  man." 

The  ladies  paused  until  they  lost  sight  of  the  re 
treating  figures,  when  they  immediately  entered 
the  Mansion-house. 

While  this  scene  was  passing  in  the  walk,  Kirby 
had  overtaken  the  cart,  which  wras  his  own,  and 
had  been  driven  by  Edwards  without  asking  the 
owner,  from  the  place  where  the  patient  oxen 
usually  stood  at  evening,  waiting  the  pleasure  of 
their  master. 

"  Woa — come  hither,  Golden,"  he  cried ;  "  why, 
how  come  you  off  the  end  of  the  bridge,  where  1 
left  you,  dummies  ?" 

"  Heave  ahead,"  muttered  Benjamin,  giving  a 
random  blow  with  his  lash,  that  alighted  on  the 
shoulder  of  the  other. 

"  Who  the  devil  be  you  ?"  cried  Billy,  turning 
round  in  surprise,  but  unable  to  distinguish,  in  the 
dark,  the  hard  visage  that  was  just  peering  over 
the  cart-rails. 

"  Who  be  I !  why  Pm  helmsman  aboard  of  this 
here  craft,  d'ye  see,  and  a  straight  wake  Pm  mak 
ing  of  it.  Ay  !  ay !  Pve  got  the  bridge  right  ahead, 
and  the  bilboes  dead-aft ;  I  calls  thai  good  steer 
age,  boy.     Heave  ahead." 

"  Lay  your  lash  in  the  right  spot,  Mr.  Benny 
Pump,"  said  the  wood-chopper,  "  or  Pll  put  you 
in  the  palm  of  my  hand,  and  box  your  ears.  Where 
be  you  going  with  my  team  ?" 

"  Team  !" 

"  Ay,  my  cart  and  oxen." 


524  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  Why,  you  must  know,  Master  Kirby,  that  the 
Leather-stocking  and  I — that's  Benny  Pump — you 
knows  Ben  ? — well,  Benny  and  I — no,  me  and 
Benny  ;  dam-me  if  I  know  how  'tis  ;  but  some  of 
us  are  bound  after  a  cargo  of  beaver-skins,  d'ye 
see,  and  so  we've  pressed  the  cart  to  ship  them 
'ome  in.  I  say,  Master  Kirby,  what  a  lubberly 
oar  you  pull — you  handle  an  oar,  boy,  pretty  much 
as  a  cow  would  a  musket,  or  a  lady  would  a  mar- 
ling-spike." 

Billy  had  discovered  the  state  of  the  steward's 
mind,  and  he  walked  for  some  time  alongside  of 
the  cart,  musing  with  himself,  when  he  took  the 
goad  from  Benjamin,  (who  fell  back  on  the  hay, 
and  was  soon  asleep,)  and  drove  his  cattle  down 
the  street,  over  the  bridge,  and  up  the  mountain, 
towards  a  clearing  in  which  he  was  to  work  the 
next  day,  without  any  other  interruption  than  a 
few  hasty  questions  from  parties  of  the  constables. 

Elizabeth  stood  for  an  hour  at  the  window  of  her 
room,  and  saw  the  torches  of  the  pursuers  gliding 
along  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  heard  their 
shouts  and  alarms  ;  but,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  the 
last  party  returned,  wearied  and  disappointed,  and 
the  village  became  again  still  as  when  she  issued 
from  the  gate  on  her  mission  to  the  jail. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


«    And  I  could  weep'— th*  Oneida  clue. 

His  descant  wildly  thus  begun — 
But  that  1  may  not  stain  with  grief 

The  death  song  of  my  father's  son.'  " 

Gertrude  if  Wyoming 


IT  was  yet  early  on  the  following  morning,  when 
Elizabeth  arid  Louisa  met  by  appointment,  and 
proceeded  to  the  store  of  Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  in 
order  to  redeem  the  pledge  that  the  former  had 
given  to  the  Leather-stocking.  The  people  were 
again  assembling  for  the  business  of  the  day,  but 
the  hour  was  too  soon  for  a  crowd,  and  the  ladies 
found  the  place  in  possession  only  of  its  polite 
owner,  Billy  Kirby,  one  female  customer,  and  the 
boy  who  did  the  duty  of  helper  or  clerk. 

Monsieur  Le  Quoi  was  perusing  a  packet  of  let 
ters  with  manifest  delight,  while  the  wood-chop 
per,  with  one  hand  thrust  into  his  bosom,  and  the 
other  in  the  folds  of  his  jacket,  holding  an  axe  un 
der  his  right  arm,  stood  sympathizing  in  the  French 
man's  pleasure  with  a  good-natured  interest.  The 
freedom  of  manners  that  prevailed  in  the  new  set 
tlements,  commonly  levelled  all  difference  in  rank, 
and  with  it,  frequently,  all  considerations  of  educa 
tion  and  intelligence.  At  the  time  the  ladies  en- 


526  THE    PIONEERS. 

tered  the  stoi^e,  they  were  unseen  by  the  ownt.<r, 
who  was  saying  to  Kirby — 

"  Ah  !  ha  !  Monsieur  Beel,  dis  lettair  mak-a  me 
de  most  happi  of  mans.  Ah  !  ma  chere  France  !  1 
vill  see  you  aga'n." 

"  I  rejoice,  Monsieur,  at  any  thing  that  eontri. 
butes  to  your  happiness,"  cried  Elizabeth,  "  but 
must  hope  we  are  not  going  to  lose  you  entirely." 

"  Ah  !  Ma'mselle  Tempi'  !  vat  honneur  I  feel  to 
me  ;  mais  I  'ave  lettair,  dat  mak-a  mon  coeur  sautez 
de  joie.  Ah  !  Ma'mselle  TempP,  if  you  'ave  pere, 
'ave  mere,  'ave  leetP — Jean-tone,  vy  you  don't 
'and  de  ladi  a  pins,  eh  ! — if  you  'aye  amis  beeg  and 
leetP  you  voud  be  glad  to  go  back.  Attendez  vous, 
Ma'mselle,  si  vous  plais ;  je  vous  lirai.  '  A  Monsieur 
Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  de  Mersereau  a  Templetone, 
Noo  Yorck,  les  Etats  Unis  d'Amerique.  Tres 
cher  ami.  Je  suis  ravis" 

"  I  apprehend  that  my  French  is  not  equal  to 
your  letter,  Monsieur,"  said  Elizabeth,  glancing 
her  eye  expressively  at  her  companion  ;  "  will  you 
favour  us  with  its  substance  in  English  ?" 

"  Oh  !  pardonnez  moi — I  'ave  been  so  long 
from  Paris  dat  I  do  forget  de — a — a — a — pronun- 
shasshong.  You  will  'ave  consideration  pour  moi, 
and  vill  excusez  my  read  in  France,"  returned  the 
polite  Gaul,  bowing  writh  deep  humility,  as  if  la 
menting  his  ignorance  of  his  own  language  ;  "  mais 
I  shall  tell  you  en  bon  Anglois.  I  'ave  offeece  a 
Paris,  in  Bureau,  dans  le  temps  du  bon  Louis  ;  1 
fly ;  run  avay  to  sav-a  my  'ead.  I  'ave  in  Mar 
tinique  von  leetP  plantation  pour  sucre — ah  !  ha ! — • 
vat  you  call  in  dis  countray — ah  !  ha  ! — Monsieui 
Beel,  vat  you  call  de  place  vere  you  vork-a  ?  eh  r" 

"  Clearing,"  said  the  wood-chopper,  with  a  kind 


THE    PIONEERS.  527 

ct  No,  no,  clear — vere  you  burn-a  my  troat,  eh  !" 

Billy  hitched  up  his  shoulder,  and  turned  his 
eyes  askance  at  the  ladies,  with  a  broad  grin  on  his 
face,  as  he  answered — 

u  I  guess  'tis  a  sugar-bush  that  the  Mounsheer 
means  ; — but  you  musn't  take  that  to  heart,  man  ; 
'tis  the  law  of  the  woods." 

"  Ah  !  coquin,  I  pardonne  you,"  returned  the 
Frenchman,  placing  his  hand  involuntarily  on  his 
throat — "  diable  !  de  law  should  be  altair.  Mais,  I 
'ave  sucre-boosh  in  Martinique  :  I  fly  dere  too  ; — 
I  come  ici ; — votre  pere  help-a-me  ; — I  grow  reech 
— yais  !  I  grow  reech  ;  mais  I  'ave  not  France  ! — 
L'Assemblee  Nationale  pass  von  edict" 

"  What's  that  ?"  interrupted  Billy,  who  was  en 
deavouring,  with  much  interest,  to  comprehend  the 
story. 

"  Eh  !  vat  dat  ?  vy  vat  you  call,  ven  de  Assem- 
blee  d'  Alban'  mak-a  de  law  ?" 

"  That's  an  act  of  the  Legyslatoore,"  said  Kir- 
by,  with  the  readiness  of  an  American  on  such  a 
subject. 

"  Veil !  dis  vas  act  of  Legyslatoore,  to  restorer 
my  land  ;  my  charactair  ;  my  sucre-boosh  ;  and  ma 
country.  Ah  !  Ma'mselle  Tempi',  je  suis  enchan- 
tie  !  mais  I  'ave  grief  to  leav-a  you  ;  Oh  !  yais  !  I 
'ave  grief  ver  mooch." 

The  amount  of  all  this  was,  that  Mr.  Le  Quoi, 
who  had  fled  from  his  own  country  more  through 
terror  than  because  he  was  offensive  to  the  ruling 
powers  in  France,  had  succeeded  at  length  in  get 
ting  an  assurance,  that  his  return  to  the  West-In 
dies  would  be  unnoticed  ;  and  the  Frenchman, 
who  had  sunk  into  the  character  of  a  country 
shop-keeper,  with  so  much  grace,  was  about  to 
emerge  again  from  his  obscurity  into  nis  proper 
level  in  society. 


528  THE    PIONEERS. 

We  need  not  repeat  the  civil  things  that  passed 
between  the  parties  on  this  occasion,  nor  lecount 
the  endless  repetitions  of  sorrow  that  the  delighted 
Frenchman  expressed,  at  being  compelled  to  quit 
the  society  of  Miss  Temple.  Elizabeth  took  an 
opportunity,  during  this  expenditure  oi  polite  ex 
pressions,  to  purchase  the  powder  privately  of  the 
boy,  who  bore  the  generic  appellation  of  Jonathan. 
Before  they  parted,  however,  Mr.  Le  Quoi,  who 
seemed  to  think  that  he  had  not  said  enough,  so 
licited  the  honour  of  a  private  interview  with  the 
heiress,  with  a  gravity  in  his  air  that  announced  the 
importance  of  the  subject.  After  conceding  the 
favour,  and  appointing  a  more  favourable  time  for 
the  meeting,  Elizabeth  succeeded  in  getting  out  of 
the  store,  into  which  the  countrymen  now  began 
to  enter,  as  usual,  where  they  met  with  the  same 
attention  and  bienseance  as  formerly. 

Elizabeth  and  Louisa  pursued  their  walk  as  far 
as  the  bridge  in  profound  silence,  but  when  they 
reached  that  place,  the  latter  stopped,  and  appeared 
anxious  to  utter  something  that  her  feelings  sup 
pressed. 

"  Are  you  ill,  Louisa  ?"  exclaimed  Miss  Tem 
ple  ;  "  had  we  not  better  return,  and  seek  another 
opportunity  to  meet  the  old  man  ?" 

"  Not  ill,  but  terrified.  Oh  !  I  never,  never 
can  go  on  that  hill  again  with  you  only.  I  am  not 
equal  to  it,  indeed  I  am  not." 

This  was  an  unexpected  declaration  to  Eliza 
beth,  who,  although  she  experienced  no  idle  ap 
prehensions  of  a  danger  that  no  longer  existed,  felt 
most  sensitively  all  the  delicacies  of  maiden  mo 
desty.  She  stood  for  some  time,  deeply  reflecting 
within  herself,  the  colour  gradually  gathering  over 
her  features  at  her  own  thoughts ;  but,  as  if  sen 
sible  that  it  was  a  time  for  action  instead  of  re- 


THE    PIONEERS.  529 

flection,  she  struggled  to  shake  off  her  hesitation, 
and  replied  firmly — 

"  Well,  then  it  must  be  done  by  me,  and  alone. 
There  is  no  other  than  yourself  to  be  trusted,  or 
poor  old  Leather-stocking  will  be  discovered. 
Wait  for  me  in  the  edge  of  these  woods,  that  at 
least  I  may  not  be  seen  strolling  in  the  hills  by 
myself  just  now.  One  would  not  wish  to  create 
remarks,  Louisa — if — if — You  will  wait  for  me, 
dear  girl  ?" 

"  A  year,  in  sight  of  the  village,  Miss  Temple," 
returned  the  agitated  Louisa,  "  but  do  not,  do  not 
ask  me  to  go  on  that  hill." 

Elizabeth  found  that  her  companion  was  really 
unable  to  proceed,  and  they  completed  their  ar 
rangement  by  posting  Louisa  out  of  the  observa 
tion  of  the  people  who  occasionally  passed,  but 
nigh  to  the  road,  and  in  plain  view  of  the  whole 
valley.  Miss  Temple  then  proceeded  alone.  She 
ascended  the  road  which  has  been  so  often  men 
tioned  in  our  narrative,  with  an  elastic  and  firm 
step,  fearful  that  the  delay  in  the  store  of  Mr.  Le 
Quoi,  and  the  time  necessary  for  reaching  the  sum 
mit,  would  prevent  her  being  punctual  to  the  ap 
pointment.  Whenever  she  passed  an  opening  in 
the  bushes',  she  would  pause  for  breath,  or,  per 
haps,  drawn  from  her  pursuits  by  the  picture  at  her 
feet,  would  linger  a  moment  to  gaze  at  the  beauties 
of  the  valley.  The  long  drought  had,  however, 
changed  its  coat  of  verdure  to  a  hue  of  brown,  and, 
though  the  same  localities  were  there,  the  view- 
wanted  the  lively  and  cheering  aspect  of  early 
summer.  Even  the  heavens  seemed  to  share  in 
the  dried  appearance  of  the  earth,  for  the  sun  was 
concealed  by  a  haziness  in  the  atmosphere,  which 
looked  like  a  thin  smoke  without  a  particle  of 
moisture,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible.  The  blue 
45 


530  THE    PION1-.ERS. 

sky  was  scarcely  to  be  seen,  though  now  and  then 
there  was  a  faint  lighting  up  in  spots,  through  which 
masses  of  rolling  vapour  could  be  discerned  ga 
thering  around  the  horizon,  as  if  nature  were  strug 
gling  to  collect  her  floods  for  the  relief  of  man. 
The  very  atmosphere  that  Elizabeth  inhaled  was 
hot  and  dry,  and  by  the  time  she  reached  the  point 
where  the  course  led  her  from  the  highway,  she 
experienced  a  sensation  like  suffocation.  But,  dis 
regarding  her  feelings,  the  heiress  hastened  to  ex 
ecute  her  mission,  dwelling  in  her  thoughts  on  no 
thing  but  the  disappointment,  and  even  the  help 
lessness,  the  hunter  would  experience,  without  her 
aid. 

On  the  summit  of  the  mountain  which  Judge 
Temple  had  named  the  "  Vision,"  a  little  spot  had 
been  cleared,  in  order  that  a  better  view  might  be 
obtained  of  the  village  and  the  valley.  It  was  at 
this  point  that  Elizabeth  understood  the  hunter  she 
was  to  meet  him  ;  and  thither  she  urged  her  way, 
as  expeditiously  as  the  difficulty  of  the  ascent  and 
the  impediments  of  a  forest  in  a  state  of  nature 
would  admit.  Numberless  were  the  fragments  of 
rocks,  trunks  of  fallen  trees,  and  branches,  that  she 
had  to  contend  against ;  but  every  di$culty  va 
nished  before  her  resolution,  and,  by  her  own 
watch,  she  stood  on  the  desired  spot  several  mi 
nutes  before  the  appointed  hour. 

After  resting  a  moment  on  the  end  of  a  log,  Miss 
Temple  cast  a  scrutinizing  glance  about  her  in 
quest  of  her  old  friend,  but  he  was  evidently  not 
in  the  clearing  ;  when  she  arose  and  walked  around 
its  skirts,  examining  every  place  where  she  thought 
it  probable  Natty  might  deem  it  prudent  to  con 
ceal  himself.  Her  search  was  fruitless ,  and,  af 
ter  exhausting  not  only  herself,  but  her  thoughts, 
in  efforts  to  discover  or  imagine  his  situation. 


THE    PIONEERS.  53] 

she  ventured  to  trust  her  voice  in  that  solitary 
place. 

"  Natty  !  Leather-stocking !  old  man  f"  she  call 
ed  aloud,  in  every  direction ;  but  no  answer  was 
given,  excepting  the  reverberations  of  her  own 
clear  tones,  as  they  were  echoed  in  the  parched 
forest. 

While  calling,  Elizabeth  gradually  approached 
the  brow  of  the  mountain,  where  a  faint  cry,  like 
the  noise  produced  by  striking  the  hand  against  the 
mouth,  at  the  same  time  that  the  breath  is  strongly 
exhaled,  was  heard,  answering  to  her  own  voice. 
Not  doubting  in  the  least,  that  it  was  the  Leather- 
stocking  lying  in  wait  for  her,  and  who  gave  that 
signal  to  indicate  the  place  where  he  was  to  be 
found,  Elizabeth  descended  for  near  a  hundred 
feet,  until  she  gained  a  little  natural  terrace,  thinly 
scattered  with  trees,  that  grew  in  the  fissures  of 
the  rocks,  which  were  covered  by  a  scanty  soil. 
She  had  advanced  to  the  edge  of  this  platform, 
and  was  gazing  over  the  perpendicular  precipice 
that  formed  its  face,  when  a  rustling  among  the 
dry  leaves  near  her  drew  her  eyes  in  another  di 
rection.  Miss  Temple  certainly  was  startled  by 
the  object  that  she  then  saw,  but  a  moment  re 
stored  her  self-possession,  and  she  advanced  firm 
ly,  and  with  some  interest  in  her  manner,  to  the 
spot. 

On  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  oak  Mohegan  was  seat 
ed,  with  his  tawny  visage  turned  towards  her,  and 
his  glaring  eyes  fixed  on  her  face  with  an  expres 
sion  of  wildness  and  fire,  that  would  have  terrified 
a  less  resolute  female.  His  blanket  had  fallen  from 
his  shoulders,  and  was  lying  in  folds  around  him, 
leaving  his  breast,  arms,  and  most  of  his  body  bare. 
The  medallion  of  Washington  reposed  on  his  chest, 
a  badge  of  distinction  that  Elizabeth  well  knew  ho 


532  THE    PIONEERS. 

only  produced  on  great  and  solemn  occasions.  But 
the  whole  appearance  of  the  aged  chief  was  more 
studied  than  common,  and  was  in  some  particulars 
terrific.  The  long  black  hair  was  plaited  on  his 
head,  falling  either  way  so  as  to  expose  his  high 
forehead  and  piercing  eyes,  without  their  usual 
shading.  In  the  enormous  incisions  of  his  ears 
were  entwined  ornaments  of  silver,  beads,  and  por 
cupine's  quills,  mingled  in  a  rude  taste,  and  after 
the  Indian  fashions.  A  large  drop,  composed  of 
similar  materials,  was  suspended  from  the  cartilage 
of  his  nose,  and,  falling  below  his  lips,  rested  on 
his  chin.  Streaks  of  red  paint  crossed  his  wrin 
kled  brow,  and  were  traced  down  either  cheek, 
with  such  variations  in  the  lines  as  caprice  or  cus 
tom  suggested.  His  body  was  also  coloured  in  the 
same  manner  ;  the  whole  exhibiting  an  Indian  war 
rior  prepared  for  some  event  of  more  than  usual 
moment. 

"  John  !  how  fare  you,  worthy  John  ?"  said  Eli 
zabeth,  as  she  approached  him ;  "  you  have  long 
been  a  stranger  in  the  village.  You  promised  me 
a  willow  basket,  and  I  have  had  a  shirt  of  calico  in 
readiness  for  you  this  month  past." 

The  Indian  looked  steadily  at  her  for  some  time 
without  answering,  and  then,  shaking  his  head,  he 
replied,  in  his  low,  guttural  tones — 

"  John's  hand  can  make  baskets  no  more — he 
wants  no  shirt." 

"  But  if  he  should,  he  will  know  where  to  come 
for  it,"  returned  Miss  Temple.  "  Indeed,  old  John, 
I  feel  as  if  you  had  a  natural  right  to  order  what 
you  will  from  us." 

"  Daughter,"  said  the  Indian.  "  listen  : — Six 
times  ten  hot  summers  have  passed,  since  John  was 
young ;  tall  like  a  pine  ;  straight  like  the  bullet  of 
Hawk-eye  ;  strong  as  the  buffalo  ;  spry  as  the  cat 


THE   PIONEERS.  533 

of  the  mountain.  He  was  strong,  and  a  warrior 
like  the  Young  Eagle.  If  his  tribe  wanted  to  track 
the  Maquas  for  many  suns,  the  eye  of  Chin- 
gachgook  found  the  print  of  their  moccasins.  If 
the  people  feasted  and  were  glad  as  they  counted 
the  scalps  of  their  enemies,  it  was  on  his  pole  they 
hung.  If  the  squaws  cried  because  there  was  no 
meat  for  their  children,  he  was  the  first  in  the 
chase.  His  bullet  was  swifter  than  the  deer. — 
Daughter,  then  Chingachgook  struck  his  tomahawk 
into  the  trees ;  it  was  to  tell  the  lazy  ones  where 
to  find  him  and  the  Mingoes — but  he  made  no 
baskets." 

"  Those  times  have  gone  by,  old  warrior,"  re 
turned  Elizabeth ;  "  since  then,  your  people  have 
disappeared,  and  in  place  of  chasing  your  enemies, 
ycu  have  learned  to  fear  God  and  to  live  at  peace." 

"  Stand  here,  daughter,  where  you  can  see  the 
great  spring,  the  wigwams  of  your  father,  and  the 
land  on  the  crooked-river.  John  was  yet  young, 
when  his  tribe  gave  away  the  country,  in  council, 
from  where  the  blue  mountain  stands  above  the 
water,  to  where  the  Susquehannah  is  hid  by  the 
trees.  All  this,  and  all  that  grew  in  it,  and  all  that 
walked  over  it,  and  all  that  fed  there,  they  gave  to 
the  Fire-eater — for  they  loved  him.  He  was 
strong,  and  they  were  women,  and  he  helped  them. 
No  Delaware  would  kill  a  deer  that  run  in  his 
woods,  nor  stop  a  bird  that  flew  over  his  land  ;  for 
it  was  his.  Has  John  lived  in  peace  ?  Daughter, 
since  John  was  young,  he  has  seen  the  white  man 
from  Frontinac  come  down  on  his  white  brothers 
at  Albany,  and  fight.  Did  they  fear  God?  He 
has  seen  his  English  and  his  American  Fathers 
burying  their  tomahawks  in  each  other's  brains, 
for  this  very  land.  Did  they  fear  God,  and  live  in 
peace  ?  He  has  seen  the  land  pass  away  from  the 
45* 


534  THE    PIONEERS. 

Fire-eater,  and  his  children,  and  the  child  of  his 
child,  and  a  new  chief  set  over  the  country.  Did 
they  live  in  peace  who  did  this?  did  they  fear 
God?" 

"  Such  is  the  custom  of  the  whites,  John.  Do 
not  the  Delawares  fight,  and  trade  their  lands  for 
powder,  and  blankets,  and  merchandise  ?" 

The  Indian  turned  his  dark  eyes  on  the  heiress, 
and  kept  them  there,  with  a  scrutiny  that  alarmed 
her  a  little,  as  he  replied,  in  a  louder  and  more 
animated  voice — 

"  Where  are  the  blankets  and  merchandise  that 
bought  the  right  of  the  Fire-eater  ?  are  they  with 
him  in  his  wigwam  ?  Did  they  say  to  him,  Bro 
ther,  sell  us  your  land,  and  take  this  gold,  this 
silver,  these  blankets,  these  rifles,  or  even  this 
rum,  for  it  ?  No  ;  they  tore  it  from  him,  as  a  scalp 
is  torn  from  an  enemy ;  and  they  that  did  it  looked 
not  behind  them,  to  see  whether  he  lived  or  died. 
Do  such  men  live  in  peace,  and  fear  the  Great 
Spirit  ?" 

"  But  you  hardly  understand  the  circumstances,71 
said  Elizabeth,  more  embarrassed  than  she  would 
own,  even  to  herself.  "  If  you  knew  our  laws  and 
customs  better,  you  would  judge  differently  of  our 
acts.  Do  not  believe  evil  of  my  father,  old  Mo- 
hegan,  for  he  is  just  and  good." 

"  The  brother  of  Miquon  is  good,  and  he  will 
do  right.  I  have  said  it  to  Hawk-eye — I  have  said 
it  to  the  Young  Eagle,  that  the  brother  of  Miquon 
would  do  justice." 

"  Whom  call  you  the  Young  Eagle  ?"  said  Eli 
zabeth,  averting  her  face  from  the  gaze  of  the  In 
dian  as  she  asked  the  question  \  "  whence  comes 
he,  and  what  are  his  rights  ?" 

"  Has  my  daughter  lived  so  long  with  him,  to 
ask  this  question  ?"  returned  the  Indian,  warily- 


THE    PIONEERS.  535 

w  Old  age  freezes  up  the  blood,  as  the  frosts  cover 
the  great  spring  in  winter ;  but  youth  keeps  the 
streams  of  the  blood  open,  like  a  sun  in  the  time 
of  blossoms.  The  Young  Eagle  has  eyes  ;  had  he 
no  tongue  ?" 

The  loveliness  to  which  the  old  warrior  alluded 
was  in  no  degree  diminished  by  his  allegorical 
speech;  for  the  blushes  of  the  maiden  who  lis 
tened,  covered  her  burning  cheeks,  till  her  dark 
eyes  seemed  to  glow  with  their  reflection ;  but, 
after  struggling  a  moment  with  her  shame,  she 
laughed,  as  if  unwilling  to  understand  him  seri 
ously,  and  replied  in  a  tone  of  pleasantry — 

"  Not  to  make  me  the  mistress  of  his  secret. 
He  is  too  much  of  a  Delaware,  to  tell  his  secret 
thoughts  to  a  woman." 

"  Daughter,  the  Great  Spirit  made  your  father 
with  a  white  skin,  and  he  made  mine  with  a  red  ; 
but  he  coloured  both  their  hearts  with  blood. 
When  young,  it  is  swift  and  warm  ;  but  when  old, 
it  is  still  and  cold.  Is  there  difference  below  the 
skin  ?  No.  Once  John  had  a  woman.  She  was 
the  mother  of  so  many  sons" — he  raised  his  hand 
with  three  fingers  elevated — "  and  she  had  daugh 
ters  that  would  have  made  the  young  Delawares 
happy.  She  was  kind,  daughter,  and  what  I  said 
she  did.  You  have  different  fashions  ;  but  do  you 
think  John  did  not  love  the  wife  of  his  youth — the 
mother  of  his  children  !" 

"  And  what  has  become  of  your  family,  John, 
your  wife  and  your  children  ?"  asked  Elizabeth, 
touched  by  the  melancholy  of  the  Indian's  man 
ner. 

u  Where  is  the  ice  that  covered  the  great  spring  ? 
It  is  melted,  and  gone  with  the  waters.  John  has 
lived  till  all  his  people  have  left  him  for  the  land 
of  spirits  ;  but  his  time  has  come,  and  he  is  ready." 


536  THE    PIONEERS. 

Mohegan  dropped  his  head  in  his  blanket,  and 
sat  in  silence.  Miss  Temple  knew  not  what  to 
say.  She  wished  to  draw  the  thoughts  of  the  old 
warrior  from  his  gloomy  recollections,  but  there 
was  a  dignity  in  his  sorrow,  and  in  his  fortitude, 
that  repressed  her  efforts  to  speak  again,  for  some 
time.  After  a  long  pause,  however,  she  renewed 
the  discourse,  by  asking — 

"  Where  is  the  Leather-stocking,  John  ?  this 
canister  of  powder  I  have  brought  at  his  request; 
but  he  is  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Will  you  take 
charge  of  it,  and  see  it  delivered  ?" 

The  Indian  raised  his  head  slowly,  and  looked 
earnestly  at  the  gift  of  the  heiress,  which  she  put 
in  his  hand. 

"  This  is  the  great  enemy  of  my  nation.  With 
out  this,  when  could  the  white  men  drive  the  De- 
lawares !  Daughter,  the  Great  Spirit  gave  your 
fathers  to  know  how  to  make  guns  and  powder, 
that  they  might  sweep  the  Indians  from  the  land. 
There  will  soon  be  no  red-skin  in  the  country. 
When  John  has  gone,  the  last  will  leave  these  hills, 
and  all  his  family  will  be  dead."  The  aged  war 
rior  stretched  his  body  forward,  leaning  his  elbow 
on  his  knee,  and  appeared  to  be  taking  a  parting 
look  at  the  objects  of  the  vale,  which  were  still 
visible  through  the  misty  atmosphere  ;  though  the 
air  seemed  to  thicken  at  each  moment  around  Miss 
Temple,  who  became  conscious  of  an  increased 
difficulty  of  respiration.  The  eye  of  Mohegan 
changed  gradually  from  its  sorrowful  expression 
to  a  look  of  wildness,  that  might  be  supposed  tc 
border  on  the  inspiration  of  a  prophet,  as  he  con 
tinued — "  But  he  will  go  to  the  country  where  his 
fathers  have  met.  The  game  shall  be  plenty  as 
the  fish  in  the  lakes.  No  woman  shall  cry  for 
meat.  No  Mingo  can  ever  come.  The  chase  shall 


THE    PIONEERS.  537 

be  for  children,  and  all  just  red-men  shall  live  to 
gether  as  brothers." 

"John  !  this  is  not  the  heaven  of  a  Christian !" 
cried  Miss  Temple ;  "  you  deal  now  in  the  super 
stition  of  your  forefathers." 

"  Fathers  !  sons !"  said  Mohegan  with  firmness 
— "  all  gone — all  gone  ! — I  have  no  son  but  the 
Young  Eagle,  and  he  has  the  blood  of  a  white  man." 

"  Tell  rne,  John,"  said  Elizabeth,  willing  to 
draw  his  thoughts  to  other  subjects,  and  at  the 
same  time  yielding  to  her  own  secret  interest  in 
the  youth ;  "  who  is  this  Mr.  Edwards  ?  why  are 
you  so  fond  of  him,  and  whence  does  he  come  ?" 

The  Indian  started  at  the  question,  which  evi 
dently  recalled  his  recollection  to  the  earth,  and, 
taking  her  hand,  he  drew  Miss  Temple  to  a  seat 
beside  him,  and  pointed  to  the  country  beneath 
them,  before  he  answered — 

"  See,  daughter,"  he  said,  directing  her  looks 
towards  the  north  ;  "  as  far  as  your  young  eyes  can 
see,  was  the  land  of  his" — 

But  immense  volumes  of  smoke  at  that  moment 
rolled  over  their  heads,  and,  whirling  in  the  ed 
dies  formed  by  the  mountains,  interposed  a  barrier 
to  their  sight,  while  he  was  speaking.  Startled  by 
this  circumstance,  Miss  Temple  sprung  on  her  feet, 
and  turning  her  eyes  toward  the  summit  of  the  moun 
tain,  she  beheld  it  covered  by  a  similar  canopy, 
while  a  roaring  sound  was  heard  in  the  forest  above 
her,  like  the  rushing  of  furious  winds. 

"  What  means  it,  John  !"  she  exclaimed ;  "  we 
are  enveloped  in  smoke,  and  I  feel  a  heat  like  the 
glow  of  a  furnace." 

Before  the  Indian  could  reply,  a  voice  was  heard, 
crying  in  the  woods,  with  a  painful  anxiety — 

"  John !    where   are   you,   old   Mohegan !    the 


THK    J' 


woods  are  on  fire,  and  you  have  but  a  few  minutes 
tor  escape." 

The  chief  put  his  hand  before  his  mouth,  and 
making  it  play  on  his  lips,  produced  the  kind  of 
noise  that  had  attracted  Elizabeth  to  the  place, 
when  a  quick  and  hurried  step  was  heard  dashing 
through  the  dried  underbrush  and  bushes,  and  pre 
sently  Edwards  rushed  to  his  side,  with  horroi 
painted  in  every  feature. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


M  Love  rules  the  court,  the  camp,  the  grove." 

Lay  of  the  Last  Min&trel. 


"  IT  would  have  been  sad  indeed,  to  lose  you  in 
such  a  manner,  my  old  friend,"  said  Oliver,  catch 
ing  his  breath  for  utterance.  Up  and  away  !  even 
now  we  may  be  too  late;  the  flames  are  circling 
round  the  point  of  the  rock  below,  and,  unless  we 
can  pass  there,  our  only  chance  must  be  over  the 
precipice.  Away  !  away  !  shake  off  your  apathy, 
John,  for  now  is  the  time  of  need." 

Mohegan  pointed  towards  Elizabeth,  who,  for 
getting  her  danger,  had  shrunk  back  to  a  projec 
tion  of  the  rock,  so  soon  as  she  recognised  the 
sounds  of  Edward's  voice,  and  said  with  something 
like  awakened  animation — 

"  Save  her — leave  John  to  die." 

"  Her !  whom  mean  you  ?"  cried  the  youth, 
turning  quickly  to  the  place  the  other  indicated  ; 
— but  when  he  saw  the  figure  of  Elizabeth,  bend 
ing  toward  him  in  an  attitude  that  powerfully  spoke 
her  terror,  blended  with  her  reluctance  to  meet 
him  in  such  a  place,  the  shock  for  a  moment  de 
prived  him  of  speech. 

"  Miss  Temple !"  he  cried,  when  he  found 
words  ;  "  you  here  !  is  such  a  death  reserved  for 
you !" 


540  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  No,  no,  no — no  death,  I  hope,  for  any  of  us, 
Mr.  Edwards,"  she  replied,  endeavouring  to  speak 
calmly,  and  rallying  her  thoughts  for  the  emergen 
cy.  "  There  is  smoke,  but  still  no  fire  to  harm  us. 
Let  us  endeavour  to  retire." 

"  Take  my  arm,"  said  Edwards  ;  "  there  must 
be  an  opening  in  some  direction  for  your  retreat. 
Are  you  equal  to  the  effort  ?" 

"  Certainly.  You  surely  magnify  the  danger, 
Mr.  Edwards.  Lead  me  out  the  way  you  came." 

"  I  will — I  will,"  cried  the  youth,  with  a  kind 
of  hysterical  utterance.  "  No,  no — there  is  no 
danger — I  have  alarmed  you  unnecessarily." 

"  But  shall  we  leave  the  Indian — can  we  leave 
him  here,  as  he  says,  to  die  ?" 

An  expression  of  painful  emotion  crossed  the  face 
of  the  young  man,  who  stopped,  and  cast  a  longing 
look  at  Mohegan ;  but,  dragging  his  companion  after 
him,  even  against  her  will,  he  pursued  his  way, 
with  enormous  strides,  toward  the  pass  by  which 
he  had  just  entered  the  circle  of  flame. 

"  Do  not  regard  him,"  he  said,  in  those  horrid 
tones  that  denote  a  desperate  calmness  ;  "  he  is 
used  to  the  woods,  and  such  scenes  ;  he  will  escape 
up  the  mountain — over  the  rock — or  he  can  remain 
where  he  is  in  safety." 

"  You  thought  not  so  this  moment,  Edwards ! — - 
Do  not  leave  him  there  to  meet  with  such  a  death," 
cried  Elizabeth,  fixing  a  look  on  the  countenance 
of  her  conductor,  that  seemed  to  distrust  his  sa 
nity. 

"  An  Indian  burn  F  who  ever  heard  of  an  Indian 
dying  by  fire  ?  an  Indian  cannot  burn  ;  the  idea  is 
ridiculous.  Hasten,  hasten,  Miss  Temple,  or  the 
smoke  may  incommode  you." 

"  Edwards  !  your  look,  your  eye,  terrifies  me  ! 


THE    PIONEERS. 


tell  me  the  danger  ;  is  it  greater  than  it  seems  ?  I 
am  equal  to  any  trial." 

"  If  we  reach  the  point  of  yon  rock  before  that 
sheet  of  fire,  we  are  safe,  Miss  Temple  !"  exclaim 
ed  the  young  man,  in  a  voice  that  hurst  without 
the  bounds  of  his  forced  composure.  "  Fly  !  the 
struggle  is  for  your  life  !" 

The  place  of  the  interview  between  Miss  Tem 
ple  and  the  Indian  has  been  already  described  as 
one  of  those  platforms  of  rock,  which  form  a  sort  of 
terrace  in  the  mountains  of  that  country,  and  the 
face  of  it,  we  have  said,  was  both  high  and  per 
pendicular.  Its  shape  was  nearly  a  natural  arc,  the 
ends  of  which  blended  with  the  mountain,  at  points 
where  its  sides  were  less  abrupt  in  their  descent. 
It  was  round  one  of  these  terminations  of  the  sweep 
of  the  rock  that  Edwards  had  ascended,  and  it  was 
toward  the  same  place  that  he  urged  Elizabeth  to 
a  desperate  exertion  of  her  speed. 

Immense  clouds  of  white  smoke  had  been  pour 
ing  over  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  had  con 
cealed  the  approach  and  ravages  of  the  element  ; 
but  a  crackling  sound  drew  the  eyes  of  Miss  Tem 
ple,  as  she  flew  over  the  ground,  supported  by  the 
young  man,  towards  the  outline  of  smoke,  where 
she  already  perceived  the  waving  flames  shooting 
forward  from  the  vapour,  now  flaring  high  in  the 
air,  and  then  bending  to  the  earth,  seeming  to  light 
into  combustion  every  stick  and  shrub  on  which 
they  breathed.  The  sight  aroused  them  both  to 
redoubled  efforts  ;  but,  unfortunately,  there  was  a 
collection  of  the  tops  of  trees,  old  and  dried,  which 
lay  directly  across  their  course  ;  and,  at  the  very 
moment  when  both  had  thought  their  safety  en 
sured,  an  eddying  of  the  warm  currents  of  the  air 
swept  a  forked  tongue  of  flame  across  the  pile, 
which  lighted  at  the  touch  ;  and  when  thev  reach- 
46 


042  THE   PIONEERS. 

ed  the  spot,  the  flying  pair  were  opposed  by  the 
surly  roaring  of  a  body  of  fire,  as  if  a  furnace  were 
glowing  in  their  path.  They  recoiled  from  the 
heat,  and  stood  on  a  point  of  the  rock,  gazing  in  a 
sort  of  stupor  at  the  flames,  which  were  spreading 
rapidly  down  the  mountain,  whose  side  soon  be 
came  a  sheet  of  living  fire.  It  was  dangerous  for 
one  clad  in  the  light  and  airy  dress  of  Elizabeth  to 
approach  even  to  the  vicinity  of  the  raging  ele 
ment  ;  and  those  flowing  robes,  that  gave  such 
softness  and  grace  to  her  form,  seemed  now  to  be 
formed  for  the  instruments  of  her  destruction. 

The  villagers  were  accustomed  to  resort  to  that 
hill  in  quest  of  timber  and  fuel ;  in  procuring  which, 
it  was  their  usage  to  take  only  the  bodies  of  the 
trees,  leaving  the  tops  and  branches  to  decay  under 
the  operations  of  the  weather.  Much  of  the  hill 
was,  consequently,  covered  with  such  light  fuel  for 
the  flames,  which,  having  been  scorching  under  the 
sun  for  the  last  two  months,  ignited  with  a  touch. 
Indeed,  in  some  cases,  there  did  not  appear  to  be 
any  contact  between  the  fire  and  these  piles,  but 
the  flames  seemed  to  dart  from  heap  to  heap,  as 
the  fabulous  fire  of  the  temple  is  represented  to 
relumine  its  neglected  lamp. 

There  wras  beauty  as  well  as  terror  in  the  sight, 
and  Elizabeth  and  the  youth  stood  viewing  the 
progress  of  the  desolation,  with  a  strange  mixture 
of  horror  and  interest.  Edwards,  however,  short 
ly  roused  himself  to  new  exertions,  and  drawing 
his  companion  after  him,  they  skirted  the  edge  of 
the  smoke,  the  young  man  penetrating  frequently 
into  its  dense  volumes  in  search  of  a  passage,  but 
in  every  instance  without  success.  In  this  man 
ner  they  proceeded  in  a  semicircle  around  the  up 
per  part  of  the  terrace,  until,  arriving  at  the  verge 
of  the  precipice,  opposite  to  the  point  where  Ed- 


THE   PIONEERS  543 

wards  had  ascended,  the  horrid  conviction  burst 
on  both  at  the  same  instant,  that  they  were  com 
pletely  encircled  by  the  fire.  So  long  as  a  single 
pass  up  or  down  the  mountain  was  unexplored, 
hope  had  invigorated  them  with  her  secret  influ 
ence  ;  but  when  retreat  seemed  to  be  absolutely 
impracticable,  the  horror  of  their  situation  broke 
upon  Elizabeth  as  powerfully  as  if  she  had  hither 
to  considered  the  danger  nothing. 

"  This  mountain  is  doomed  to  be  fatal  to  me  !" 
she  whispered,  rather  than  uttered  aloud  ; — "  we 
shall  find  our  graves  on  it !" 

"  Say  not  so,  Miss  Temple  ;  there  is  yet  hope," 
returned  the  youth,  in  the  same  tone,  while  the 
vacant,  horrid  expression  of  his  eye  contradicted 
his  words  ;  "  let  us  return  to  the  point  of  the  rock ; 
there  is,  there  must  be,  some  place  about  it  where 
we  can  descend." 

"  Lead  me  there,"  exclaimed  Elizabeth  ;  "  let 
us  leave  no  effort  untried."  She  did  not  wait  for 
his  compliance,  but,  turning,  retraced  her  steps  to 
the  brow  of  the  precipice,  murmuring  to  herself, 
in  suppressed,  hysterical  sobs,  "  My  father  ! — my 
poor,  my  distracted  father  !" 

Edwards  was  by  her  side  in  an  instant,  and  with 
aching  eyes  he  examined  into  every  fissure  in  the 
crags,  in  quest  of  some  opening  that  might  offer 
the  facilities  of  flight.  But  the  smooth,  even  sur 
face  of  the  rocks  afforded  hardly  a  resting  place 
for  a  foot,  much  less  those  continued  projections 
which  would  have  been  necessary  for  a  descent  of 
nearly  a  hundred  feet.  Edwards  was  not  slow  in 
feeling  the  conviction  that  this  hope  was  also  fu 
tile,  and,  with  a  kind  of  feverish  despair,  that  still 
urged  him  to  action,  he  turned  to  some  new  expe 
dient. 


544  THE   PIONEERS. 

"  There  is  nothing  left,  Miss  Temple,"  he  said, 
in  a  hollow  accent,  "  but  to  lower  you  from  this 
place  to  the  rock  beneath.  If  Natty  were  here, 
or  even  that  Indian  could  be  roused,  their  ingenui 
ty  and  long  practice  would  easily  devise  methods 
by  which  to  do  it ;  but  I  am  a  child,  at  this  mo 
ment,  in  every  thing  but  daring.  Where  shall  I 
find  means  ?  This  dress  of  mine  is  so  light,  and 
there  is  so  little  of  it — then  the  blanket  of  Mohe- 
gan — We  must  try — we  must  try — any  thing  is 
better  than  to  see  you  a  victim  to  such  a  death  !" 

"  And  what  shall  become  of  you  !"  said  Eliza 
beth.  "  Indeed,  indeed,  neither  you  nor  John 
must  be  the  sacrifice  to  my  safety." 

He  heard  her  not,  for  he  was  already  by  the 
side  of  Mohegan,  who  yielded  his  blanket  without 
a  question,  retaining  his  seat  with  Indian  dignity 
and  composure,  though  his  own  situation  was  even 
more  critical  than  that  of  the  others.  The  blanket 
was  cut  into  shreds,  and  the  fragments  fastened  to 
gether  ;  the  loose  linen  jacket  of  the  youth,  and 
the  light  muslin  shawl  of  Elizabeth,  were  attached 
to  them,  and  the  whole  thrown  over  the  rocks, 
with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  ;  but  the  united 
pieces  did  not  reach  half  way  to  the  bottom. 

"  It  will  not  do — it  will  not  do  !"  cried  Eliza 
beth  ;  "  for  me  there  is  no  hope  !  The  fire  comes 
slowly,  but  certainly.  See  !  it  destroys  the  very 
earth  before  it !" 

Had  the  flames  spread  on  that  rock  with  half  the 
quickness  with  which  they  leaped  from  bush  to 
tree,  in  other  parts  of  the  mountain,  our  painful 
task  would  have  soon  ended  ;  for  they  would  have 
swept  off  the  victims,  who  were  suffering  doubly 
under  the  anticipations  of  their  approaching  fate. 
But  the  peculiarity  of  their  situation  afforded  Eli- 


THE    PIONEERS.  545 

zabeth  and  her  companion  the  respite,  of  which 
they  availed  themselves  to  make  the  efforts  we 
have  recorded. 

The  thin  covering  of  earth  over  the  rock  on  which 
they  stood  supported  but  a  scanty  and  faded  herb 
age,  and  most  of  the  trees  that  had  found  root  in  the 
fissures  had  already  died,  during  the  intense  heats 
of  preceding  summers.  Those  which  still  retained 
the  appearance  of  life,  bore  a  few  dry  and  wither 
ed  leaves,  that  were  drained  of  their  nourishment ; 
while  the  others  were  merely  the  wrecks  of  pines, 
oaks,  and  maples.  No  better  materials  to  feed  the 
fire  could  be  found,  had  there  been  a  communica 
tion  with  the  flames  ;  but  the  ground  was  destitute 
of  the  leaves  and  boughs  that  led  the  destructive 
element  like  a  torrent  over  the  remainder  of  the 
hill.  As  auxiliary  to  this  scarcity  of  fuel,  there 
was  one  of  the  large  springs  which  abound  in  that 
country,  gushing  out  of  the  side  of  the  ascent  above, 
which,  after  creeping  sluggishly  along  the  level 
land,  saturating  the  mossy  covering  of  the  rock 
with  moisture,  swept  round  the  base  of  the  little 
cone  that  formed  the  pinnacle  of  the  mountain, 
and,  entering  the  canopy  of  smoke  near  one  of  the 
terminations  of  the  terrace,  found  its  way  to  the 
lake,  not  by  dashing  from  rock  to  rock,  but  by  the 
secret  channels  of  the  earth.  It  would  rise  to  the 
surface,  here  and  there,  in  the  wet  seasons,  when 
it  exhibited  a  mimic  torrent,  overflowing  the  ground 
for  some  distance  ;  but  in  the  droughts  of  summer, 
it  was  to  be  traced  only  by  the  bogs  and  moss  that 
announced  the  proximity  of  water.  When  the  fire 
reached  this  barrier,  it  was  compelled  to  pause,  un 
til  a  concentration  of  its  heat  could  overcome  the 
moisture,  like  an  army  impatiently  waiting  the  ope 
rations  of  a  battering  train,  to  open  its  way  to  death 
and  desolation. 

46* 


546  THE    PIONEERS. 

That  fatal  moment  seemed  now  to  have  arrived; 
for  the  hissing  streams  of  the  spring  appeared  to  be 
nearly  exhausted,  and  the  moss  of  the  rocks  was 
already  curling  under  the  intense  heat  that  was 
thrown  across  the  little  spot  of  wet  ground,  while 
the  fragments  of  bark,  that  yet  clung  to  the  dead 
trees,  began  to  separate  from  their  trunks,  and  fall 
to  the  ground  in  crumbling  masses.  The  air  seem 
ed  quivering  with  rays  of  heat,  which  might  be  seen 
playing  along  the  parched  stems  of  the  trees.  The 
excited  imagination  of  Elizabeth,  as  she  stood  on 
the  verge  of  the  precipice,  and  gazed  about  her, 
viewing  the  approach  of  their  powerful  enemy, 
fancied  every  tree  and  herb  near  her  on  the  point 
of  ignition.  There  were  moments  when  dark 
clouds  of  smoke  would  sweep  along  the  little  ter 
race,  and  as  the  eye  lost  its  power,  the  other 
senses  contributed  to  give  effect  to  the  fearful  hor 
ror  of  the  scene.  At  such  moments,  the  roaring 
of  the  flames,  the  crackling  of  the  furious  element, 
with  the  tearing  of  falling  branches,  and,  occasion 
ally,  the  thundering  echoes  of  some  prostrated 
tree,  united  to  alarm  the  victims.  Of  the  three, 
however,  the  youth  appeared  much  the  most  agi 
tated.  Elizabeth,  having  relinquished  entirely  the 
idea  of  escape,  was  fast  obtaining  that  resigned 
composure,  with  which  the  most  delicate  of  her  sex 
are  known  to  meet  unavoidable  evils ;  while  Mo- 
hegan,  who  was  much  nearer  to  the  danger,  main 
tained  his  seat  with  the  invincible  resignation  of  an 
Indian  warrior.  Once  or  twice  the  eye  of  the  aged 
chief,  which  was  ordinarily  fixed  in  the  direction 
of  the  distant  hills,  turned  towards  the  young  pair, 
who  seemed  doomed  to  so  early  a  death,  with  a 
slight  indication  of  pity  crossing  his  composed  fea 
tures,  but  it  would  immediately  revert  again  to  its 
former  gaze,  as  if  already  looking  into  the  womb 


THE    PIONEERS.  547 

of  futurity.  Much  of  the  time  he  was  chanting  a 
kind  of  low  dirge,  in  the  Delaware  tongue,  using 
the  deep  and  remarkably  guttural  tones  of  his 
people. 

"  At  such  a  moment,  Mr.  Edwards,  all  earthly 
distinctions  end,"  whispered  Elizabeth ;  "  per 
suade  John  to  move  nearer  to  us — let  us  die  to 
gether." 

"  I  cannot— he  will  not  stir,"  returned  the  youth, 
in  the  same  horridly  still  tones.  "  He  considers 
this  as  the  happiest  moment  of  his  life.  He  is  past 
seventy,  and  has  been  decaying;  rapidly  for  some 
time  ;  he  received  some  injury-  II  chasing  that  un 
lucky  deer,  too,  on  the  lake.  Oh!  Miss  Tem 
ple,  that  was  an  unlucky  chase  indeed  !  it  has  led, 
I  fear,  to  this  awful  scene." 

The  smile  that  beamed  on  the  lovely  features  of 
Elizabeth  was  celestial,  as  she  answered  in  a  soft, 
soothing  voice,  "  Why  name  such  a  trifle  now — at 
this  moment  the  heart  is  dead  to  all  earthly  emo 
tions  !" 

"  If  any  thing  could  reconcile  a  man,  in  the  vi 
gour  and  pride  of  manhood,  to  this  death,"  cried 
the  youth  with  fervour,  "  it  would  be  to  meet  it 
in  such  company !" 

"  Talk  not  so,  Edwards,  talk  not  so,"  interrupt 
ed  Miss  Temple,  "  I  am  unworthy  of  it ;  and  it  is 
unjust  to  yourself.  We  must  die  ;  yes — yes — we 
must  die — it  is  the  will  of  God,  and  let  us  endea 
vour  to  submit  like  his  own  children." 

"  Die  !"  the  youth  rather  shrieked  than  exclaim 
ed,  "  No — no — there  must  be  hope  yet — you  must 
not,  shall  not  die." 

" In  what  way  can  we  escape?"  asked  Eliza 
beth,  pointing,  with  a  look  of  heavenly  composure, 
towards  the  fire  "  Observe  !  the  flame  is  crossing 


548  THE    PIONEERS. 

the  barrier  of  wet  ground — it  comes  slowly,  Ed 
wards,  but  surely. — Ah  !  see  !  the  tree  !  the  tree 
is  already  lighted!" 

Her  words  were  too  true.  The  heat  of  the  con 
flagration  had,  at  length,  overcome  the  resistance 
of  the  spring,  and  the  fire  was  slowly  stealing  along 
the  half-dried  moss;  while  a  dead  pine  kindled 
with  the  touch  of  a  forked  flame,  that,  for  a  mo 
ment,  wreathed  around  the  stem  of  the  tree,  as  it 
whirled,  in  one  of  its  evolutions,  under  the  influ 
ence  of  the  air.  The  effect  was  instantaneous  and 
magical.  The  f^nes  danced  along  the  parched 
trunk  of  the  pinl,'like  lightning  quivering  on  a 
chain,  and  immediately  a  column  of  living  fire  was 
raging  on  the  terrace.  It  soon  spread  from  tree  to 
tree,  and  the  scene  was  evidently  drawing  to  a  close. 
The  log  on  which  Mohegan  was  seated  lighted  at 
its  farther  end,  and  the  Indian  appeared  to  be  sur 
rounded  by  the  fire.  Still  he  was  unmoved.  As 
his  body  was  unprotected,  his  sufferings  must  have 
been  great,  but  his  fortitude  was  superior  to  all, 
His  voice  could  yet  be  heard,  raising  its  tones, 
even  in  the  midst  of  these  horrors.  Elizabeth 
turned  her  head  from  the  sight,  and  faced  the  val 
ley.  Furious  eddies  of  wind  were  created  by  the 
heat,  and  just  at  the  moment,  the  canopy  of  fiery 
smoke  that  overhung  the  valley,  was  cleared  away, 
leaving  a  distinct  view  of  the  peaceful  village  be 
neath  them. 

"  My  father!— My  father'"  shrieked  Elizabeth. 
"  Oh  !  this — this  surely  might  have  been  spared 
me — but  I  submit." 

The  distance  was  not  too  great  for  the  figure  of 
Judge  Temple  to  be  seen,  standing  in  his  own 
grounds,  and  apparently  contemplating,  in  perfect 
unconsciousness  of  the  danger  of  his  child,  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  549 

mountain  in  flames.  This  sight  was  still  more 
painful  than  the  approaching  danger ;  and  Eliza 
beth  again  faced  the  hill. 

"  My  intemperate  warmth  has  done  this  !"  cried 
Edwards,  in  the  accents  of  despair.  "  If  I  had  pos 
sessed  but  a  moiety  of  your  heavenly  resignation, 
Miss  Temple,  all  might  yet  have  been  well." 

"  Name  it  not — name  it  not,"  she  said.  "  It  is 
now  of  no  avail.  We  must  die,  Edwards,  we  must 
die — let  us  do  so  as  Christians.  But — no — you 
may  yet  escape,  perhaps.  Your  dress  is  not  so  fa 
tal  as  mine.  Fly!  leave  me.  An  opening  may 
yet  be  found  for  you,  possibly — certainly  it  is  worth 
the  effort.  Fly  !  leave  me — but  stay !  You  will 
see  my  father ;  my  poor,  my  bereaved  father  ! 
Say  to  him,  then,  Edwards,  say  to  him,  all  that  can 
appease  his  anguish.  Tell  him  that  I  died  happy 
and  collected ;  that  I  have  gone  to  my  beloved 
mother ;  that  the  hours  of  this  life  are  as  nothing 
when  balanced  in  the  scales  of  eternity.  Say  how 
we  shall  meet  again.  And  say,"  she  Continued, 
dropping  her  voice,  that  had  risen  with  her  feel 
ings,  as  if  conscious  of  her  worldly  weaknesses, 
"  how  dear,  how  very  dear,  was  my  love  for  him ; 
that  it  was  near,  too  near,  to  my  love  for  God." 

The  youth  listened  to  her  touching  accents,  but 
moved  not.  In  a  moment  he  found  utterance,  and 
replied : 

"  And  is  it  me  that  you  bid  to  leave  you  !  me, 
to  leave  you  on  the  edge  of  the  grave  !  Oh  !  Miss 
Temple,  how  little  have  you  known  me,"  he  cried, 
dropping  on  his  knees  at  her  feet,  and  gathering 
her  flowing  robe  in  his  arms,  as  if  to  shield  her 
from  the  flames.  "  I  have  been  driven  to  the 
woods  in  despair  ;  but  your  society  has  tamed  the 
lion  within  me.  If  I  have  wasted  my  time  in  de 
gradation,  'twas  you  that  charmed  me  to  it.  If  I 


550  THE    PIONEERS. 

have  forgotten  my  name  and  family,  your  form  sup 
plied  the  place  of  memory.  If  I  have  forgotten  my 
wrongs,  'twas  you  that  taught  me  charity.  No — 
no — dearest  Elizabeth,  I  may  die  with  you,  but  I 
can  never  leave  you  !" 

Elizabeth  moved  not,  nor  answered.  It  was 
plain  that  her  thoughts  had  been  of  heaven.  The 
recollection  of  her  father,  and  her  regrets  at  their 
separation,  had  been  mellowed  by  a  holy  senti 
ment,  that  lifted  her  above  the  level  of  earthly 
things,  and  she  was  fast  losing  the  weakness  of  her 
sex,  in  the  near  view  of  eternity.  But  as  the 
maiden,  standing  in  her  extremity,  listened  to  these 
words,  she  became  once  more  woman.  The  blood 
gathered  slowly  again  in  those  cheeks,  that  had, 
in  anticipation  of  the  tyrant's  triumph,  assumed  the 
livid  appearance  of  death,  until  they  glowed  with 
the  loveliness  of  her  beauty.  She  struggled  with 
herself  against  these  feelings,  and  smiled,  as  she 
thought  she  was  shaking  off  the  last  lingering  feel 
ing  of  her  nature,  when  the  world,  and  all  its  se 
ductions,  rushed  again  to  her  heart,  with  the  sounds 
of  a  human  voice,  crying  in  piercing  tones — 

"  Gal !  where  be  ye,  gal !  gladden  the  heart  of 
an  old  man,  if  ye  yet  belong  to  'arth  !" 

"  List !"  said  Elizabeth,  "  'tis  the  Leather-stock 
ing  ;  he  seeks  me  !" 

"  'Tis  Natty !"  shouted  Edwards,  springing  on 
his  feet,  "  and  we  may  yet  be  saved !" 

A  wide  and  circling  flame  glared  on  their  eyes 
for  a  moment,  even  above  the  fire  of  the  woods, 
and  a  loud  report  followed,  that  was  succeeded  by 
a  comparative  stillness* 

"  'Tis  the  canister  !  'tis  the  powder,"  cried  the 
same  voice,  evidently  approaching  them.  "  'Tis 
the  canister,  and  the  precious  child  is  lost !" 

At  the  next  instant  Natty  rushed  through  the 


THE   PIONEERS.  55  J 

steams  of  the  spring,  and  appeared  on  the  terrace, 
without  his  deer-skin  cap,  his  hair  burnt  to  his  heau, 
his  shirt  of  country  check  black  and  filled  with 
holes,  and  his  red  features  of  a  deeper  colour  than 
ever,  by  the  heat  he  had  encountered. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 


"  Even  from  the  land  of  shadows,  now, 
My  father's  awful  ghost  appears." 

Gertrude  of  Wyoming. 


FOR  an  hour  after  Louisa  Grant  was  left  by  Miss 
Temple,  in  the  situation  already  mentioned,  she 
continued  in  feverish  anxiety,  awaiting  the  return 
of  her  friend.  But  as  the  time  passed  by  without 
the  re-appearance  of  Elizabeth,  the  terrors  of  Lou 
isa  gradually  increased,  until  her  alarmed  fancy 
had  conjured  every  species  of  danger  that  apper 
tained  to  the  woods,  excepting  the  one  that  really 
existed.  The  heavens  had  become  obscured,  by 
degrees,  and  vast  volumes  of  smoke  were  pouring 
over  the  valley  ;  but  the  thoughts  of  Louisa  were 
still  recurring  to  beasts,  without  dreaming  of  the 
real  cause  for  apprehension.  She  was  stationed  in 
the  edge  of  the  low  pines  and  chestnuts  that  suc 
ceed  the  first  or  large  growth  of  the  forest,  and  di 
rectly  above  the  angle  where  the  highway  turned 
from  the  straight  course  to  the  village,  and  ascend 
ed  the  mountain,  laterally.  Consequently  she 
commanded  a  view  not  only  of  the  valley,  but  of 
the  road  beneath  her.  The  few  travellers  that 
passed,  she  observed,  were  engaged  in  earnest 


THE    PIONEERS.  553 

conversation,  and  frequently  raised  theii  eyes  to 
the  hill,  and  at  length  she  saw  the  people  leaving 
the  court-house,  and  gazing  upward  also.  While 
under  the  influence  of  the  alarm  excited  by  such 
unusual  movements,  reluctant  to  go,  and  yet  fear 
ful  to  remain,  Louisa  was  startled  by  the  low, 
cracking,  but  cautious  treads,  of  some  one  ap 
proaching  through  the  bushes.  She  was  on  the 
eve  of  flight,  when  Natty  emerged  from  the  cover, 
and  stood  at  her  side.  The  old  man  laughed  as 
he  shook  her  kindly  by  a  hand  that  was  passive 
with  fear,  and  said — 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you  here,  child,  for  the 
back  of  the  mountain  is  a-fire,  and  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  go  up  it  now,  till  it  has  been  burnt 
over  once,  and  the  dead  wood  is  gone.  There's  a 
foolish  man,  the  comrade  of  that  varmint,  who  has 
given  me  all  this  trouble,  digging  for  ore  on  the 
east  side.  I  told  him  that  the  kearless  fellows, 
who  thought  to  catch  a  practys'd  hunter  in  the 
woods  after  dark,  had  thrown  the  lighted  pine  knots 
in  the  brush,  and  that  'twould  kindle  like  tow,  and 
warned  him  to  leave  the  hill.  But  he  was  set  up 
on  his  business,  and  nothing  short  of  Providence 
could  move  him.  If  he  isn't  burnt  and  buried  in  a 
grave  of  his  own  digging,  he's  made  of  salamanders. 
Why,  what  ails  the  child  !  you  look  as  skeary  as  if 
you  see'd  more  painters  !  I  wish  there  was  some 
to  be  found,  they'd  count  up  faster  than  the  bea 
ver.  But  where's  the  good  child  of  a  bad  father  ? 
did  she  forget  her  promise  to  the  old  man  ?" 

"  The  hill !  the  hill  !"  shrieked  Louisa ;  "  she 
seeks  you  on  the  hill  with  the  powder  !" 

Natty  recoiled  for  several  feet,  at  this  unexpect 
ed  intelligence,  and  exclaimed — 

'i  The  Lord  of  Heaven  have  mercy  on  her !  She's 
on  the  Vision,  and  that's  a  sheet  of  fire  ag'in  this. 
47 


554  THE    PIONEERS. 

Child,  if  ye  love  the  dear  one,  and  hope  to  find  a 
friend  when  you  need  it  most,  to  the  village,  and 
give  the  alarm.  The  men  be  us'd  to  fighting  fire, 
and  there  may  be  a  chance  left.  Fly !  I  bid  ye 
fly  !  nor  stop  even  for  breath." 

The  Leather-stocking  had  no  sooner  uttered  this 
injunction,  than  he  disappeared  in  the  bushes,  and 
when  last  seen  by  Louisa,  was  rushing  up  the 
mountain  with  the  activity  of  youth,  and  with  a 
speed  that  none  but  those  who  were  accustomed 
to  the  toil  could  attain. 

"  Have  I  found  ye  !"  the  old  man  exclaimed, 
when  he  burst  out  of  the  smoke  ;  "  God  be  prais 
ed,  that  I've  found  ye  ;  but  follow, — there  is  no  time 
left  for  talking." 

"  My  dress  !"  said  Elizabeth  ;  "  it  would  be  fa 
tal  to  trust  myself  nearer  to  the  flames  in  it." 

"  I  bethought  me  of  your  flimsy  things,"  cried 
Natty,  throwing  loose  the  folds  of  a  covering  of 
buckskin  that  he  carried  on  his  arm,  and  wrap 
ping  her  form  in  it,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  en 
velope  her  whole  person ;  "  now  follow,  for  it's 
a  matter  of  life  and  death  to  us  all." 

"  But  John  !  what  will  become  of  John  ?"  cried 
Edwards  ;  "  can  we  leave  the  old  warrior  here  to 
perish  ?" 

The  eyes  of  Natty  followed  the  direction  of  Ed 
wards'  finger,  when  he  beheld  the  Indian,  still  seat 
ed  as  before,  with  the  very  earth  under  his  feet 
consuming  with  fire.  Without  delay  the  hunter 
approached  the  spot,  and  cried  in  Delaware — 

"  Up  and  away,  Chingachgook !  will  ye  stay  here 
to  burn,  like  a  tortured  Mingo,  at  the  stake  ?  The 
Moravians  have  teached  ye  better,  I  hope ;  the 
Lord  preserve  me  if  the  powder  hasn't  flashed 
atween  his  legs,  and  the  skin  of  his  back  is  roast 
ing.  Will  ye  come,  I  say  ?  will  ye  follow  ?" 


THE   PIONEERS.  555 

"  Why  should  Mohegan  go  ?"  returned  the  In 
dian,  gloomily.  "  He  has  seen  the  days  of  an  ea 
gle,  and  his  eye  grows  dim.  He  looks  on  the  val 
ley  ;  he  looks  on  the  water  ;  he  looks  in  the  hunt 
ing-grounds — but  he  sees  no  Delawares.  Every 
one  has  a  white  skin.  My  fathers  say,  from  the 
far-off  land,  come.  My  women,  my  young  war 
riors,  my  tribe,  say,  come.  The  Great  Spirit  says, 
come.  No — let  Mohegan  die." 

"  But  you  forget  your  friend,"  cried  Edwards. 

"  ?Tis  useless  to  talk  to  an  Indian  with  the  death- 
fit  on  him,  lad,"  interrupted  Natty,  who  seized  the 
strips  of  the  blanket,  and  with  wonderful  dexterity 
strapped  the  passive  chieftain  to  his  own  back ; 
when  he  turned,  and  with  a  strength  that  seemed 
to  bid  defiance,  not  only  to  his  years,  but  to  his 
load,  he  led  the  way  to  the  point  whence  he  had 
issued.  Even  as  they  crossed  the  little  terrace  of 
rock,  one  of  the  dead  trees,  that  had  been  totter 
ing  for  several  minutes,  fell  on  the  spot  where  they 
had  stood,  and  filled  the  air  with  its  cinders. 

Such  an  event  quickened  the  steps  of  the  party, 
who  followed  the  Leather-stocking  with  the  ur 
gency  required  by  the  occasion. 

"  Tread  on  the  soft  ground,"  he  cried,  when 
they  were  in  a  gloom  where  sight  availed  them  but 
little,  "  and  keep  in  the  white  smoke ;  keep  the 
skin  close  on  her,  lad  ;  she's  a  precious  one,  I  tell 
you — sich  another  will  be  hard  to  be  found." 

Obedient  to  the  hunter's  directions,  they  follow 
ed  his  steps  and  advice  implicitly,  and  although  the 
narrow  passage  along  the  winding  of  the  spring  led 
amid  burning  logs  and  .falling  branches,  yet  they 
happily  achieved  it  in  safety.  No  one  but  a  man 
long  accustomed  to  the  woods,  could  have  traced 
his  route  through  a  smoke,  in  which  respiration 
was  difficult^  and  sight  nearly  useless  ;  but  the  ex- 


556  THE    PIONEERS. 

perience  of  Natty  conducted  them  to  an  opening 
through  the  rocks,  where,  with  a  .ittle  difficulty, 
they  soon  descended  to  another  terrace,  and  emerg 
ed  at  once  into  a  tolerably  clear  atmosphere. 

The  feelings  of  Edwards  and  Elizabeth,  at  reach 
ing  this  spot,  may  be  imagined,  though  not  easily 
described.     No  one  seemed  to  exult  more  than 
their  guide,  who  turned,  with  Mohegan  still  lashed 
to  his  back,  and  laughing  in  his  own  manner,  said — 

"  I  know'd  'twas  the  Frenchman's  powder,  gal ; 
it  went  so  altogether  like  ;  your  coarse  grain  will 
squib  for  a  minute.  The  Iroquois  had  none  of  the 
best  powder  when  I  went  ag'in  the  Canada  tribes, 
under  Sir  William.  Did  I  ever  tell  you  the  story, 
lad,  consarning  the  skrimmage  with" 

;c  For  God's  sake,  tell  me  nothing  now,  Natty, 
until  we  are  entirely  safe.  Where  shall  we  go 
next  ?" 

"  Why,  on  the  platform  of  rock  over  the  cave, 
to  be  sure  ;  you  will  be  safe  enough  there,  or  we'll 
go  into  it,  if  you  be  so  minded." 

The  young  man  started,  and  appeared  agitated 
with  a  strong  emotion,  but,  looking  around  him  with 
an  anxious  eye,  said  quickly — 

"  Shall  we  be  safe  on  the  rock  ?  cannot  the  fire 
reach  us  there,  too  ?" 

"  Can't  the  boy  see  ?"  said  Natty,  with  the  cool 
ness  of  one  who  was  accustomed  to  the  kind  of 
danger  he  had  just  encountered.  "  Had  ye  staid 
in  the  place  above  ten  minutes  longer,  you  wrould 
both  have  been  in  ashes,  but  here  you  may  stay 
for  ever,  and  no  fire  can  touch  you,  until  they 
burn  the  rocks  as  well  as  the  woods." 

With  this  assurance,  which  was  obviously  true, 
they  proceeded  to  the  spot,  and  Natty  deposited 
his  load,^>lacing  the  Indian  on  the  ground  with  his 
back  against  a  fragment  of  the  rocks.  Elizabeth 


THE    PIONEERS.  557 

sunk  on  the  ground,  and  buried  her  face  in  hei 
hands,  while  her  heart  was  swelling  with  a  variety 
of  conflicting  emotions. 

"  Let  me  urge  you  to  take  a  restorative,  Miss 
Temple,"  said  Edwards  respectfully ;  "  your  frame 
will  sink  else." 

"  Leave,  leave  me,"  she  said,  raising  her  beam 
ing  eyes  for  a  moment  to  his ;  "  I  feel  too  much 
for  words  !  I  am  grateful,  Oliver,  for  this  miracu 
lous  escape  ;  and  next  to  my  God  to  you." 

Edwards  withdrew  to  the  edge  of  the  rock,  and 
shouted — "  Benjamin  !  where  are  you,  Benjamin  ?" 

A  hoarse  voice  replied,  as  if  from  the  bowels  of 
the  earth,  "  Hereaway,  master ;  stow'd  in  this  here 
bit  of  a  hole,  which  is  all  the  same  as  hot  as  the 
cook's  coppers.  I'm  tired  of  my  birth,  d'ye  see, 
and  if-so-be  that  Leather-stocking  has  got  much 
over-hauling  to  do  before  he  sails  after  them  saicf 
beaver,  I'll  go  into  dock  again,  and  ride  out  my 
quarantine  till  I  can  get  prottick  from  the  law,  and 
so  hold  on  upon  the  rest  of  my  'spaniolas." 

"  Bring  up  a  glass  of  water  from  the  spring," 
continued  Edwards, "  and  throw  a  little  wine  in  it ; 
hasten,  I  entreat  you." 

"  I  knows  but  little  of  your  small  drink,  master 
Oliver,"  returned  the  steward,  his  voice  issuing 
out  of  the  cave  into  the  open  air,  "  and  the  Jamai- 
ky  held  out  no  longer  than  to  take  a  parting  kiss 
with  Billy  Kirby,  when  he  anchored  me  alongside 
the  highway  last  night,  where  you  run  me  down  in 
the  chase.  But  here's  sum'mat  of  a  red  colour  that 
may  suit  a  weak  stomach,  mayhap.  That  master 
Kirby  is  no  first-rate  in  a  boat,  but  he'll  tack  a  cart 
among  the  stumps,  all  the  same  as  a  Lon'on  pilot 
will  back  and  fill  through  the  colliers  in  the  Pool." 

As  the  steward  ascended  while  talking,  by  the 

time  he  had  ended  his  speech,  he  appeared  on  the 
47  * 


558  THE    PIONI.ERS. 

rock,  with  the  desired  restoratives,  exhibiting  the 
worn-out  and  bloated  features  of  a  man,  who  haa 
run  deep  in  a  debauch,  and  that  lately. 

Elizabeth  took  from  the  hand  of  Edwards  the 
liquor  which  he  offered,  and  then  motioned  to  be 
left  again  to  herself. 

The  youth  turned  at  her  bidding,  and  observed 
Natty  kindly  assiduous  around  the  person  of  Mo- 
hegan.  When  their  eyes  met,  the  hunter  said  sor 
rowfully — 

"His  time  has  come,  lad ;  I  see  it  in  his  eye  ; — 
when  an  Indian  fixes  his  eye,  he  means  to  go  but 
to  one  place  ;  and  what  the  wilful  creaters  put 
their  minds  on,  they're  sure  to  do." 

A  quick  tread  diverted  the  reply  of  the  youth, 
and  in  a  few  moments,  to  the  amazement  of  the 
whole  party,  Mr.  Grant  was  seen  clinging  to  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  and  striving  to  reach  the 
place  where  they  stood.  Oliver  sprang  to  his  as 
sistance,  and  by  their  united  efforts  the  worthy  di 
vine  was  soon  placed  safely  among  them. 

"  How  came  you  added  to  our  number  ?"  cried 
Edwards.  "  Is  the  hill  alive  with  people,  at  a  time 
like  this  ?» 

The  hasty,  but  pious  thanksgivings  of  the  cler 
gyman  were  soon  ejaculated  ;  and  when  he  suc 
ceeded  in  collecting  his  bewildered  senses  he  re 
plied — 

"  I  heard  that  my  child  was  seen  coming  to  the 
mountain  ;  and  when  the  fire  broke  over  its  sum 
mit,  my  uneasiness  drew  me  up  the  road,  where  I 
found  Louisa,  in  terror  for  Miss  Temple.  It  was 
to  seek  her  that  I  came  into  this  dangerous  place ; 
and  I  think  but  for  God's  mercy,  through  the  dogs 
of  Natty,  I  should  have  perished  in  the  flames  my 
self."  ' 

"  Ay  !  follow  the  hounds,  and  if  there's  an  open- 


THE    PIONEERS.  551) 

ing  they'll  scent  it  out,"  said  Natty  ;  "  their  noses 
be  given  them  the  same  as  man's  reason." 

"  I  did  so,  and  they  led  me  to  this  place  ;  but, 
praise  be  to  God,  that  I  see  you  all  safe  and  well." 

"  No,  no,"  returned  the  hunter ;  "  safe  we  be, 
but  as  for  well,  John  can't  be  called  in  a  good  way, 
unless  you'll  say  that  for  a  man  that's  taking  his 
last  look  at  the  'arth." 

"  He  speaks  the  truth !"  said  the  divine,  with 
the  holy  awe  with  which  he  ever  approached  the 
dying ; — "  I  have  been  by  too  many  death-beds, 
not  to  see  that  the  hand  of  the  tyrant  is  laid  on 
this  old  warrior.  Oh  !  how  consoling  it  is,  to  know 
that  he  has  not  rejected  the  offered  mercy,  in  the 
hour  of  his  strength  and  of  worldly  temptations  ! 
The  offspring  of  a  race  of  heathens,  he  has  in 
truth  been  c  as  a  brand  plucked  from  the  burning.' " 

"  No,  no,"  returned  Natty,  who  alone  stood 
with  him  by  the  side  of  the  dying  warrior,  "  it's  no 
burning  that  ails  him,  though  his  Indian  feelings 
made  him  scorn  to  move,  unless  it  be  the  burning 
of  man's  wicked  thoughts  for  near  fourscore  years  ; 
but  it's  nater  giving  out  in  a  chase  that's  run  too 
long.  Down  with  ye,  Hector  !  down,  I  say  !— 
Flesh  isn't  iron,  that  a  man  can  live  for  ever,  and 
see  his  kith  and  kin  driven  to  a  far  country,  and 
he  left  to  mourn,  with  none  to  keep  him  company." 

"  John,"  said  the  divine,  tenderly,  "  do  you  hear 
me?  do  you  wish  the  prayers  appointed  by  the 
church  at  this  trying  moment  ?" 

The  Indian  turned  his  ghastly  face  to  the  speak 
er,  and  fastened  his  dark  eyes  on  him,  steadily, 
but  vacantly.  No  sign  of  recognition  was  made  ; 
and  in  a  moment  he  moved  his  head  again  slowly 
towards  the  vale,  and  began  to  sing,  using  his  own 
language,  in  those  low,  guttural  tones,  that  have 
been  so  often  mentioned,  his  notes  using  with  hij? 


560  THE    PIOAEKKS. 

theme,  till  they  swelled  to  fulness,  if  not  to  har 
mony  :— 

ir'  I  will  come  !  I  will  come  !  to  the  land  of  the 
just  I  will  come  !  No  Delaware  fears  his  end  ;  no 
Mohican  shrinks  from  death ;  for  the  Great  Spirit 
calls,  and  he  goes.  My  father  I  have  honoured  ;  I 
have  cherished  my  mother ;  to  my  tribe  I've  been 
faithful  and  true.  The  Maquas  I  have  slain ! — I 
have  slain  the  Maquas  !  and  the  Great  Spirit  calls 
to  his  son.  I  will  come  !  I  will  come  !  to  the  land 
of  the  just  I  will  come  !" 

"  What  says  he,  Leather-stocking  ?"  inquired 
the  priest,  with  tender  interest ;  "  sings  he  the  Re 
deemer's  praise  ?" 

"  No,  no, — 'tis  his  own  praise  that  he  speaks 
now,"  said  Natty,  turning  in  a  melancholy  manner 
from  the  sight  of  his  dying  friend ;  "  and  a  good 
right  he  has  to  say  it  all,  for  I  know  every  word 
of  it  to  be  true." 

"  May  Heaven  avert  such  self-righteousness 
from  his  heart!"  exclaimed  the  divine.  "Humility 
and  penitence  are  the  seals  of  Christianity ;  and 
without  feeling  them  deeply  seated  in  the  soul,  all 
hope  is  delusive,  and  leads  to  vain  expectations. 
Praise  himself!  when  his  whole  soul  and  body 
should  unite  to  praise  his  Maker  !  John  !  you  have 
enjoyed  the  blessings  of  a  gospel  ministry,  and 
have  been  called  from  out  a  multitude  of  sinners 
and  pagans,  and,  I  trust,  for  a  wise  and  gracious 
Durpose.  Do  you  now  feel  what  it  is  to  be  justi 
fied  by  our  Saviour's  death,  and  reject  all  weak 
and  idle  dependence  on  good  works,  that  spring 
from  man's  pride  and  vainglory  ?" 

The  Indian  did  not  regard  his  interrogator,  but 
he  raised  his  head  again,  and  said,  in  a  low,  dis 
tinct  voice — 

"  Who  can  say,  that  the  Maquas  know  the  back 


THE    PIONEERS.  561 

of  Mohegan !  What  enemy  that  trusted  in  him 
did  not  see  the  morning  ?  What  Mingo  that  he 
chased  ever  sung  the  song  of  triumph  ?  Did  Mo 
hegan  ever  lie  ?  No  ;  for  the  truth  lived  in  him, 
and  none  else  could  come  out  of  him.  In  his  youth, 
he  was  a  warrior,  and  his  moccasins  left  the  stain 
of  blood.  In  his  age,  he  was  wise  ;  and  his  words 
at  the  council  fin*  did  not  blow  away  with  the 
winds." 

"  Ah  !  he  has  abandoned  that  vain  relic  of  pa 
ganism,  his  songs,"  cried  the  good  divine  ; — "  what 
says  he  now  ?  is  he  sensible  of  his  lost  state  ?" 

"  Lord  !  man,"  said  Natty,  "  he  knows  his  ind 
is  at  hand  as  well  as  you  or  I,  but,  so  far  from 
thinking  it  a  loss  to  him,  he  believes  it  to  be  a  great 
gain.  He  is  now  old  and  stiff,  and  you've  made 
the  game  so  scearce  and  shy,  that  better  shots  than 
him  find  it  hard  to  get  a  livelihood.  Now  he  thinks 
he  shall  travel  where  it  will  always  be  good  hunt 
ing  ;  where  no  wicked  or  unjust  Indians  can  go ; 
and  where  he  shall  meet  all  his  tribe  together  ag'in. 
There's  not  much  loss  in  that,  to  a  man  whose 
hands  be  hardly  fit  for  basket-making.  Loss  !  if 
there  be  any  loss,  'twill  be  to  me.  I'm  sure,  after 
he's  gone,  there  will  be  but  little  left  for  me  to  do 
but  to  follow." 

"  His  example  and  end,  which,  I  humbly  trust, 
shall  yet  be  made  glorious,"  returned  Mr.  Grant, 
"  should  lead  your  mind  to  dwell  on  the  things  of 
another  life.  But  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  smooth 
the  way  for  the  parting  spirit.  This  is  the  mo 
ment,  John,  when  the  reflection  that  you  did  not 
reject  the  mediation  of  the  Redeemer,  will  bring 
balm  to  your  soul.  Trust  not  to  any  act  of  former 
,  days,  but  lay  the  burthen  of  your  sins  at  his  feet, 
and  you  have  his  own  blessed  assurance  that  he 
will  not  desert  you." 


562  THE    PIONEERS. 

"  Though  all  you  say  be  true,  and  you  have 
scripter  gospels  for  it,  too,"  said  Natty,  "  you  will 
make  nothing  of  the  Indian.  He  hasn't  seen  a 
Moravian  priest  sin'  the  war ;  and  it's  hard  to  keep 
them  from  going  back  to  their  native  ways.  I 
should  think  'twould  be  as  well  to  let  the  old  man 
pass  in  peace.  He's  happy  now  ;  I  know  it  by  his 
eye  ;  and  that's  more  than  I  would  say  for  the 
chief,  sin'  the  time  the  Delawares  broke  up  from 
the  head-waters  of  their  river,  and  went  west. 
Ah's  me  !  'tis  a  grievous  long  time  that,  and  many 
dark  days  have  we  both  seen  together  sin'  it." 

"  Hawk-eye  !"  said  Mohegan,  rousing  with  the 
last  glimmering  of  life.  "  Hawk-eye  !  listen  to  the 
words  of  your  brother." 

"  Yes,  John,"  said  the  hunter,  in  English,  strong 
ly  affected  by  the  appeal,  and  drawing  to  his  side  ; 
"  wre  have  been  brothers  ;  and  more  so  than  it 
means  in  the  Indian  tongue.  What  would  ye  have 
with  me,  Chingachgook  ?" 

"  Hawk-eye  !  my  fathers  call  me  to  the  happy 
hunting-grounds.  The  path  is  clear,  and  the  eyes 
of  Mohegan  grow  young.  I  look — but  I  see  no 
white-skins ;  ihere  are  none  to  be  seen  but  just 
and  brave  Indians.  Farewell,  Hawk-eye — you 
shall  go  with  the  Fire-eater  and  the  Young  Eagle^ 
to  the  white  man's  heaven  ;  but  I  go  after  my  fa 
thers.  Let  the  bow,  and  tomahawk,  and  pipe,  and 
the  wampum  of  Mohegan,  be  laid  in  his  grave ;  for 
when  he  starts  'twill  be  in  the  night,  like  a  warrior 
on  a  war-party,  and  he  cannot  stop  to  seek  them." 

"  What  says  he,  Nathaniel  ?"  cried  Mr.  Grant, 
earnestly,  and  with  obvious  anxiety  ;  "  does  he 
recall  the  promises  of  the  mediation  ?  and  trust  his 
salvation  to  the  Rock  of  ages  ?" 

Although  the  faith  of  the  hunter  was  by  no 
means  clear,  yet  the  fruits  of  early  instruction  had 


THE    PIONEERS  563 

not  entirely  fallen  in  the  wilderness.  He  believed 
in  one  God,  and  one  heaven ;  and  when  the  strong 
feeling  excited  by  the  leave-taking  of  his  old  com 
panion,  which  was  exhibited  by  the  powerful  work 
ing  of  every  muscle  in  his  weather-beaten  face, 
suffered  him  to  speak,  he  replied — 

"  No — no — he  trusts  only  to  the  Great  Spirit 
of  the  savages,  and  to  his  own  good  deeds.  He 
thinks,  like  all  his  people,  that  he  is  to  be  young 
ag'in,  and  to  hunt,  and  be  happy  to  the  ind  of  etar- 
nity.  It's  pretty  much  the  same  with  all  colours, 
parson.  I  could  never  bring  myself  to  think,  that 
I  shall  meet  with  these  hounds,  or  my  piece,  in 
another  world  ;  though  the  thoughts  of  leaving 
them  for  ever,  sometimes  brings  hard  feelings  over 
me,  and  makes  me  cling  to  life  with  a  greater  crav 
ing  than  beseems  threescore-and-ten." 

"  The  Lord  in  his  mercy  avert  such  a  death 
fromtme  who  has  been  sealed  with  the  sign  of 
the  cross!"  cried  the  minister,  in  holy  fervour. 
u  John"— 

He  paused ;  for  the  scene,  and  the  elements, 
seemed  to  conspire  to  oppress  the  powers  of  hu 
manity.  During  the  period  occupied  by  the  events 
which  we  have  related,  the  dark  clouds  in  the  hori 
zon  had  continued  to  increase  in  numbers  and  mag 
nitude  ;  and  the  awful  stillness  that  now  pervaded 
the  air,  announced  a  crisis  in  the  state  of  the  at 
mosphere.  The  flames,  which  yet  continued  to 
rage  along  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  no  longer 
whirled  in  the  uncertain  currents  of  their  own  ed 
dies,  but  blazed  high  and  steadily  towards  the  hea 
vens.  There  was  even  a  quietude  in  the  ravages 
of  the  destructive  element,  as  if  it  foresaw  that 
a  hand,  greater  than  even  its  own  desolating  pow 
er,  was  about  to  stay  its  progress.  The  piles  of 
smoke  which  lay  above  the  valley  began  to  rise, 


564  THE    PIONEERS. 

and  were  dispelling  rapidly ;  and  streaks  of  vivid 
lightning  were  dancing  through  the  masses  of 
clouds  that  impended  over  the  western  hills.  While 
Mr.  Grant  was  speaking,  a  flash,  which  sent  its 
quivering  light  through  the  gloom,  laying  bare  the 
whole  opposite  horizon,  was  followed  by  a  loud 
crash  of  thunder,  that  rolled  away  among  the  hills, 
seeming  to  shake  the  foundations  of  the  earth  to 
their  centre.  Mohegan  raised  himself,  as  if  in  obe 
dience  to  a  signal  for  his  departure,  and  stretched 
forth  his  wasted  arm  towards  the  west.  His  dark 
face  lighted  with  a  look  of  joy  ;  which,  with  all 
other  expression,  gradually  disappeared  ;  the  mus 
cles  stiffening  as  they  retreated  to  a  state  of  rest ; 
a  slight  convulsion  played,  for  a  single  instant, 
about  his  lips ;  and  his  arm  slowly  dropped,  rigid 
and  motionless,  by  his  side  ;  leaving  the  frame  of 
the  dead  warrior  reposing  against  the  rock,  with 
its  glassy  eyes  open,  and  fixed  on  the  distant  hills, 
as  if  the  deserted  shell  were  tracing  the  flight  of 
the  spirit  to  its  new  abode. 

All  this  Mr.  Grant  witnessed  in  silent  awe  ;  but 
when  the  last  echoes  of  the  thunder  died  away,  he 
clasped  his  hands  together,  with  pious  energy,  and 
repeated,  in  the  full,  rich  tones  of  assured  faith — 

"  O  Lord  !  how  unsearchable  are  thy  judgments : 
and  thy  ways  past  finding  out  J  c  I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  lat 
ter  day  upon  the  earth  :  And  though  after  my  skin, 
worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I 
see  God  :  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine 
eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another."3 

As  the  divine  closed  this  burst  of  devotion,  he 
bowed  his  head  meekly  to  his  bosom,  and  looked 
all  the  dependence  and  humility  that  the  inspired 
language  expressed. 

When   Mr,  Grant   retired  from  the  body,  the 


THE    PIONEERS. 

kunter  approached,  and  taking  the  rigid  hand  of 
his  friend,  looked  him  wistfully  in  the  face  for  some 
time  without  speaking ;  when  he  gave  vent  to  his 
feelings  by  saying,  in  the  mournful  voice  of  one 
who  felt  deeply — 

"  Red  skin  or  white,  it's  all  over  now  !  He's  to 
be  judged  by  a  righteous  Judge,  and  by  no  laws 
that's  made  to  suit  times,  and  new  ways.  Well., 
there's  only  one  more  death,  and  the  world  will  be 
left  to  me  and  the  hounds.  Ahs  me  !  a  man  must 
wait  the  time  of  God's  pleasure,  but  I  begin  to 
weary  of  my  life.  There  is  scarcely  a  tree  stand 
ing  that  I  know,  and  it's  hard  to  find  a  face  that  I 
was  acquainted  with  in  my  younger  days." 

Large  drops  of  rain  began  now  to  fall,  and  dif 
fuse  themselves  over  the  dry  rock,  while  the  ap 
proach  of  the  thunder  shower  was  rapid  and  cer 
tain.  The  body  of  the  Indian  was  hastily  removed 
into  the  cave  beneath,  followed  by  the  whining 
hounds,  who  missed,  and  moaned  for,  the  look  of 
intelligence  that  had  always  met  their  salutations 
to  the  chief. 

Edwards  made  some  hasty  and  confused  excuse 
for  not  taking  Elizabeth  into  the  same  place,  which 
was  now  completely  closed  in  front  with  logs  and 
bark,  saying  something  that  she  hardly  understood 
about  its  darkness,  and  the  unpleasantness  of  be 
ing  with  the  dead  body.  Miss  Temple,  however, 
found  a  sufficient  shelter  against  the  torrent  of  rain 
that  fell,  under  the  projection  of  a  rock  which 
over-hung  them.  But  long  before  the  shower  was 
over,  the  sounds  of  voices  were  heard  below  them 
crying  aloud  for  Elizabeth,  and  men  soon  appear 
ed,  beating  the  dying  embers  of  the  bushes,  as  they 
worked  their  way  cautiously  among  the  unextio- 
guished  brands. 

At  the  first  short  cessation  in  the  rain,  Oliver 
48 


566  THE    PIONEERS. 

conducted  the  heiress  to  the  road,  where  he  left 
her.  Before  parting,  however,  he  found  time  to 
say,  in  a  fervent  manner,  that  his  companion  was 
now  at  no  loss  to  interpret — 

"  The  moment  of  concealment  is  over,  Miss 
Temple.  By  this  time  to-morrow,  I  shall  remove 
a  veil  that  perhaps  it  has  been  weakness  to  keep 
around  me  and  my  affairs  so  long.  But  I  have  had 
romantic  and  foolish  wishes  and  weaknesses ;  and 
who  has  not,  that  is  young  and  torn  by  conflicting 
passions?  God  bless  you!  I  hear  your  father's 
voice ;  he  is  coming  up  the  road,  and  I  would  not, 
just  now,  subject  myself  to  detention.  Thank 
Heaven,  you  are  safe  again,  and  that  alone  removes 
the  weight  of  a  world  from  my  spirit !" 

He  waited  for  no  answer,  but  sprang  into  the 
woods.  Elizabeth,  notwithstanding  she  heard  the 
piercing  cries  of  her  father  as  he  called  upon  her 
name,  paused  until  he  was  concealed  among  the 
smoking  trees,  when  she  turned,  and  in  a  moment 
rushed  into  the  arms  of  her  half-distracted  parent. 

A  carriage  had  been  provided,  to  remove  her 
body,  living  or  dead,  as  Heaven  had  directed  her 
fate,  into  which  Miss  Temple  hastily  entered ; 
when  the  cry  was  passed  along  the  hill,  that  the 
lost  one  was  found,  and  the  people  returned  to  the 
village,  wet  and  dirty,  but  elated  with  the  thought 
that  the  daughter  of  their  landlord  had  escaped 
from  so  horrid  and  untimely  an  end. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


11  Seliclar !  unsheath  then  our  chiefs  scimetar '; 
Tambourgi !  thy  'larum  gives  promise  of  war  ; 
Ye  mountains  !  that  see  us  descend  to  the  shore, 
Shall  view  us  victors,  or  view  us  no  more.1' 

Byrni. 


THE  heavy  showers  that  prevailed  during  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  completely  stopped  the  pro 
gress  of  the  flames  ;  though  glimmering  fires  were 
observed  during  the  night,  on  different  parts  of  the 
hill,  wherever  there  was  a  collection  of  fuel  to  feed 
the  element.  The  next  day  the  woods,  for  many 
miles,  were  black  and  smoking,  and  were  stript  of 
every  vestige  of  brush  and  dead  wood ;  but  the 
pines  and  hemlocks  still  reared  their  heads  proudly 
along  the  hills,  and  even  the  smaller  trees  of  the 
forest  retained  a  feeble  appearance  of  life  and  ve 
getation. 

The  many  tongues  of  rumour  were  busy  in  ex 
aggerating  the  miraculous  escape  of  Elizabeth,  and 
a  report  was  generally  credited,  that  Mohegan  had 
actually  perished  in  the  flames.  This  belief  be 
came  confirmed,  and  was  indeed  rendered  proba 
ble,  when  the  direful  intelligence  reached  the  vil 
lage,  that  Jotham  Riddel,  the  miner,  was  found  in 
his  hole,  nearly  dead  with  suffocation,  and  burnt 
to  such  a  degree  that  no  hopes  were  entertained 
of  his  life. 


568  THE    PIONEERS. 

The  public  attention  became  much  alive  to  the 
events  of  the  last  few  days,  and  just  at  this  crisis, 
the  convicted  counterfeiters  took  the  hint  from 
Natty,  and,  on  the  night  succeeding  the  fire,  found 
means  to  cut  through  their  log  prison  also,  and  to 
escape  unpunished.  When  this  news  began  to  cir 
culate  through  the  village,  blended  with  the  fate 
of  Jotham,  and  the  exaggerated  and  tortured  re 
ports  of  the  events  on  the  hill,  the  popular  opinion 
was  freely  expressed,  as  to  the  propriety  of  seizing 
such  of  the  fugitives  as  remained  within  reach. 
Men  talked  of  the  cave,  as  a  secret  receptacle  of 
guilt ;  and  as  the  rumour  of  ores  and  metals  found 
its  way  into  the  confused  medley  of  conjectures 
counterfeiting,  and  every  thing  else  that  was  wick 
ed  and  dangerous  to  the  peace  of  society,  suggest 
ed  themselves  to  the  busy  fancies  of  the  populace. 

While  the  public  mind  was  in  this  feverish  state, 
it  was  hinted  that  the  wood  had  been  set  on  fire 
by  Edwards  and  the  Leather-stocking,  and  that, 
consequently,  they  alone  were  responsible  for  the 
damages.  This  opinion  soon  gained  ground,  be 
ing  most  circulated  by  those  who,  by  their  own 
heedlessness,  had  caused  the  evil ;  and  there  was 
one  irresistible  burst  of  the  common  sentiment,  that 
an  attempt  should  be  made  to  punish  the  offenders. 
Richard  was  by  no  means  deaf  to  this  appeal,  and 
by  noon  he  set  about  in  earnest,  to  see  the  laws 
executed. 

Several  stout  young  men  were  selected,  and 
taken  apart  with  an  appearance  of  secrecy,  where 
they  received  some  important  charge  from  the 
Sheriff,  immediately  under  the  eyes,  but  far  re 
moved  from  the  ears,  of  all  in  the  village.  Pos 
sessed  with  a  knowledge  of  their  duty,  these 
youths  hurried  into  the  hills,  with  a  bustling  man 
ner,  as  if  the  fate  of  the  world  depended  on  their 


THE    PIONEERS.  569 

diligence,  ant1,  at  the  same  time,  with  an  air  of 
mystery,  as  great  as  if  they  were  engaged  on  se 
cret  matters  of  the  state. 

At  twelve  precisely,  a  drum  beat  the  "  long 
roll"  before  the  "  Bold  Dragoon,"  and  Richard  ap 
peared,  accompanied  by  Captain  Hollister,  who 
was  clad  in  his  vestments  as  commander  of  the 
"  Templeton  Light-Infantry,"  when  the  former  de 
manded  of  the  latter  the  aid  of  the  posse  eomita- 
tus,  in  enforcing  the  laws  of  the  country.  We  have 
not  room  to  record  the  speeches  of  the  two  gen 
tlemen  on  this  occasion,  but  they  are  preserved  in 
the  columns  of  the  little  blue  news-paper,  which 
is  yet  to  be  found  on  file,  and  are  said  to  be  highly 
creditable  to  the  legal  formula  of  one  of  the  par 
ties,  and  to  the  military  precision  of  the  other. 
Every  thing  had  been  previously  arranged,  and  as 
the  red-coated  drummer  continued  to  roll  out  his 
clattering  notes,  some  five-and-twenty  privates  ap 
peared  in  die  ranks,  and  arranged  themselves  in 
order  of  battle. 

As  this  corps  was  composed  of  volunteers,  and 
was  commanded  by  a  man  who  had  passed  the  first 
five-and-thirty  years  of  his  life  in  camps  and  gar 
risons,  it  was  the  nonpareil  of  military  science  in 
that  country,  and  was  confidently  pronounced,  by 
the  judicious  part  of  the  Templeton  community,  to 
be  equal  in  skill  and  appearance  to  any  troops  in 
the  known  world  ;  in  physical  endowments  they 
were,  certainly,  much  superior  !  To  this  asser 
tion  there  were  but  three  dissenting  voices,  and 
one  dissenting  opinion.  The  opinion  belonged  to 
Marmaduke,  who,  however,  saw  no  necessity  for 
its  promulgation.  Of  the  voices,  one,  and  that  a 
pretty  loud  one,  came  from  the  spouse  of  the  com 
mander  himself,  who  frequently  reproached  her 
husband  for  condescending  to  lead  such  an  irregu* 
48* 


670  THE    PIONEERS. 

iar  band  of  warriors,  after  he  had  filled  the  honour 
able  station  of  sergeant-major  to  a  dashing  corps  of 
Virginian  cavalry  through  much  of  the  recent  war. 

Another  of  these  skeptical  sentiments  was  inva 
riably  expressed  by  Mr.  Pump,  whenever  the  com 
pany  paraded,  generally  in  some  such  terms  as 
these,  which  were  uttered  with  that  sort  of  meek 
ness,  that  a  native  of  the  island  of  our  forefathers  is 
apt  to  assume,  when  he  condescends  to  praise  the 
customs  or  characters  of  her  truant  progeny — 

"  It's  mayhap  that  they  knows  sum'mat  about 
loading  and  firing,  d'ye  see  ;  but  as  for  working 
ship  !  why  a  corporal's  guard  of  the  Boadishey's 
marines  would  back  and  fill  on  their  quarters  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  surround  and  captivate  them 
all  in  half  a  glass."  As  there  was  no  one  to  deny 
this  assertion,  the  marines  of  the  Boadicea  were 
held  in  a  corresponding  degree  of  estimation. 

The  third  unbeliever  was  Monsieur  Le  Quoi, 
who  'merely  whispered  to  the  sheriff,  that  the  corps 
was  one  of  the  finest  he  had  ever  seen,  second  only 
to  the  Mousquetaires  of  Le  Bon  Louis !  How 
ever,  as  Mrs.  Hollister  thought  there  was  some 
thing  like  actual  service  in  the  present  appearances, 
and  was,  in  consequence,  too  busily  engaged  with 
certain  preparations  of  her  own,  to  make  her  com 
ments  ;  as  Benjamin  was  absent,  and  Monsieur  Le 
Quoi  too  happy  to  find  fault  with  any  thing,  the 
corps  escaped  criticism  and  comparison  altogether 
on  this  momentous  day,  when  they  certainly  had 
greater  need  of  self-confidence,  than  on  any  other 
previous  occasion.  Marmaduke  was  said  to  be 
again  closeted  with  Mr.  Van  der  School,  and  no 
interruption  was  offered  to  the  movements  of  the 
troops.  At  two  o'clock  precisely  the  corps  shoul 
dered  arms,  beginning  on  the  right  wing,  next  to 
the  veteran,  and  carrying  the  motion  through  to  the 


THE    PIONEERS.  571 

left  with  great  regularity.  When  each  musket 
was  quietly  fixed  in  its  proper  situation,  the  order 
was  given  to  wheel  to  the  left,  and  march.  As 
this  was  bringing  raw  troops,  at  once,  to  face  their 
enemy,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  manoeuvre 
was  executed  with  their  usual  accuracy,  but  as  the 
music  struck  up  the  inspiring  air  of  Yankee-doodle, 
and  Richard,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Doolittle,  pre 
ceded  the  troops  boldly  down  the  street,  Captain 
Hollister  led  on,  with  his  head  elevated  to  forty- 
five  degrees,  with  a  little,  low  cocked  hat  perched 
on  its  crown,  carrying  a  tremendous  dragoon  sa 
bre  at  a  poise,  and  trailing  at  his  heels  a  huge  steel 
scabbard,  that  had  war  in  its  very  clattering.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in  getting  all  the  pla 
toons  (there  were  six)  to  look  the  same  way  ;  but, 
by  the  time  they  reached  the  defile  of  the  bridge, 
the  troops  were  in  excellent  order.  In  this  man 
ner  they  marched  up  the  hill  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  no  other  alteration  taking  place  in  the 
disposition  of  the  forces,  excepting  that  a  mutual 
complaint  was  made  by  the  sheriff  and  the  magis 
trate,  of  a  failure  in  wind,  which  gradually  brought 
these  gentlemen  to  the  rear.  It  will  be  unneces 
sary  to  detail  the  minute  movements  that  suc 
ceeded.  We  shall  briefly  say,  that  the  scouts  came 
in  and  reported,  that,  so  far  from  retreating,  as  had 
been  anticipated,  the  fugitives  had  evidently  gained 
a  knowledge  of  the  attack,  and  were  fortifying  for 
a  desperate  resistance.  This  intelligence  certainly 
made  a  material  change,  not  only  in  the  plans  of 
the  leaders,  but  in  the  countenances  of  the  soldiery 
also.  The  men  looked  at  one  another  with  seri 
ous  faces,  and  Hiram  and  Richard  began  to  con 
sult  together,  apart. 

At  this  juncture,  they  were  joined  by  Billy  Kir- 
by,  who  came  along  the  highway,  with  hk  axe  im- 


672  THE    PIONEERS. 

der  his  arm,  as  much  in  advance  of  his  team  as 
Captain  Hollister  had  been  of  his  troops  in  the  as 
cent.  The  wood-chopper  was  amazed  at  the  mili 
tary  array,  but  the  sheriff  eagerly  availed  himself 
of  this  powerful  reinforcement,  and  commanded  his 
assistance  in  putting  the  laws  in  force.  Billy  held 
Mr.  Jones  in  too  much  deference  to  object ;  and  it 
was  finally  ai  ranged,  that  he  should  be  the  bearer 
of  a  summons  to  the  garrison  to  surrender,  before 
they  proceeded  to  extremities.  The  troops  now 
divided,  one  party  being  led  by  the  captain,  over 
the  Vision,  and  were  brought  in  on  the  left  of  the 
cave,  while  the  remainder  advanced  upon  its  right, 
under  the  orders  of  the  lieutenant.  Mr.  Jones  and 
Dr.  Todd, — for  the  surgeon  was  in  attendance  also, — 
appeared  on  the  platform  of  rock,  immediately  over 
the  heads  of  the  garrison,  though  out  of  their  sight. 
Hiram  thought  this  approaching  too  near,  and  he 
therefore  accompanied  Kirby  along  the  side  of  the 
hill,  to  within  a  safe  distance  of  the  fortifications, 
where  he  took  shelter  behind  a  tree.  Most  of  the 
men  discovered  a  wonderful  accuracy  of  eye  in 
bringing  some  object  in  range  between  them  and 
their  enemy,  and  the  only  two  of  the  besiegers, 
who  were  left  in  plain  sight  of  the  besieged,  were 
Captain  Hollister  on  one  side,  and  the  wood-chop 
per  on  the  other.  The  veteran  stood  up  boldly  to 
the  front,  supporting  his  heavy  sword,  in  one  un- 
deviating  position,  with  his  eye  fixed  firmly  on 
his  enemy,  while  the  huge  form  of  Billy  was  placed 
in  that  kind  of  quiet  repose,  with  either  hand  thrust 
into  his  bosom,  bearing  his  axe  under  his  right 
arm,  which  permitted  him,  like  his  own  oxen,  to 
rest  standing.  So  far,  not  a  word  had  been  ex 
changed  between  the  belligerants.  The  besieged 
had  drawn  together  a  pile  of  black  logs  and  branches 
of  trees,  which  they  had  formed  into  a  chevaux-de- 


THE    PIONEERS.  573 

frise,  making  a  little  circular  abbatis  in  front  of  the 
entrance  to  the  cave.  As  the  ground  was  steep 
and  slippery  in  every  direction  around  the  place, 
and  Benjamin  appeared  behind  the  works  on  one 
side,  and  Natty  on  the  other,  the  arrangement  was 
by  no  means  contemptible,  especially  as  the  front 
was  sufficiently  guarded  by  the  difficulty  of  the  ap 
proach.  By  this  time,  Kirby  had  received  his  or 
ders,  and  he  advanced  coolly  along  the  mountain, 
picking  his  way  with  the  same  indifference  as  if  he 
were  pursuing  his  ordinary  business.  When  he 
was  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  works,  the  long 
and  much  dreaded  rifle  of  the  Leather-stocking 
was  seen  issuing  from  the  parapet,  and  his  voice 
cried  aloud — 

"  Keep  off !  Billy  Kirby,  keep  off !  I  wish  ye  no 
harm ;  but  if  a  man  of  ye  all  comes  a  step  nigher, 
there'll  be  blood  spilt  a-twixt  us.  God  forgive  the 
one  that  draws  it  first ;  but  so  it  must  be." 

"  Come,  old  chap,"  said  Billy,  good  naturedly, 
"  (Jon't  be  crabbed,  but  hear  what  a  man  has  got 
to  say.  I've  no  consarn  in  the  business,  only  to 
see  right  'twixt  man  and  man  ;  and  I  don't  kear  the 
valie  of  a  beetle-ring  which  gets  the  better ;  but 
there's  Squire  Doolittle,  out  yonder  behind  the 
beech  sapling,  he  has  invited  me  to  come  in  and 
ask  you  to  give  up  to  the  law — that's  all." 

"  I  see  the  varmint !  I  see  his  clothes  !"  cried 
the  indignant  Natty ;  "  and  if  he'll  only  show  so 
much  flesh  as  will  bury  a  rifle  bullet,  thirty  to  the 
pound,  I'll  make  hi«i  feel  me.  Go  away,  Billy,  I 
bid  ye  ;  you  know  my  aim,  and  I  bear  you  no  ma 
lice." 

"  You  over  calkilate  your  aim,  Natty,"  said  the 
other,  as  he  stepped  behind  a  pine  that  stood  near 
him,  "  if  you  think  to  shoot  a  man  through  a  tree 
with  a  three  foot  but.  I  can  lay  this  tree  right 


574  THE   PIONEERS 

across  you  in  ten  minutes,  by  any  man's  watch, 
and  in  less  time,  too  ;  so  be  civil — I  want  no  more 
than  what's  right." 

There  was  a  simple  seriousness  in  the  counte 
nance  of  Natty,  that  showed  he  was  much  in  ear 
nest  ;  but  it  was  also  evident,  that  he  was  reluctant 
to  shed  human  blood.  He  answered  the  vaunt  of 
the  wood-chopper,  by  saying — 

"  I  know  you  drop  a  tree  where  you  will,  Billy 
Kirby  ;  but  if  you  show  a  hand,  or  an  arm,  in  do 
ing  it,  there'll  be  bones  to  be  set,  and  blood  to 
staunch,  I  tell  you.  If  it's  only  to  get  into  the 
cave  that  ye  want,  wait  till  a  two  hours'  sun,  and 
you  may  enter  it  in  welcome  ;  but  come  in  now 
you  shall  not.  There's  one  dead  body  already, 
lying  on  the  cold  rocks,  and  there's  another  in 
which  the  life  can  hardly  be  said  to  stay.  If  you 
will  come  in,  there'll  be  dead  without  as  well  as 
within." 

The  wood-chopper  stept  out  fearlessly  from  his 
cover,  and  cried — 

"  That's  fair  ;  and  what's  fair  is  right.  He  wants ' 
you  to  stop  till  it's  two  hours  to  sun-down  ;  and  I 
see  reason  in  the  thing.  A  man  can  give  up  when 
he's  wrong,  if  you  don't  crowd  him  too  hard  ;  but 
you  crowd  a  man,  and  he  gets  tc  be  like  a  stubborn 
ox — the  more  you  beat,  the  worse  he  kicks." 

The  sturdy  notions  of  independence  maintained 
by  Billy,  neither  suited  the  emergency,  nor  the 
impatience  of  Mr.  Jones,  who  was  burning  with  a 
desire  to  examine  the  hidden  masteries  of  the  cave. 
He  therefore  interrupted  this  amicable  dialogue 
with  his  own  voice. 

"  I  command  you,  Nathaniel  Bumppo,  by  my 
authority,  to  surrender  your  person  to  the  law,"  he 
cried.  "  And  I  command  you,  gentlemen,  to  aid 
me  in  performing  my  duty.  Benjamin  Penguillan3 


THE   PIONEERS.  575 

I  arrest  you,  and  order  you  to  follow  me  to  the  jail 
of  the  county,  by  virtue  of  this  warrant." 

"  I'd  follow  ye,  Squire  Dickens,"  said  Benja 
min,  removing  the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  (for  during 
the  whole  scene  the  ex-major  domo  had  been  very 
composedly  smoking, )  "  ay !  I'd  sail  in  your 
wake,  sir,  to  the  end  of  the  world,  if-so-be  that 
there  was  such  a  place,  which  there  isn't,  seeing 
that  it's  round.  Now,  mayhap,  Master  Hollister, 
having  lived  all  your  life  on  shore,  you  isn't  ac 
quainted  that  the  world,  d'ye  see" — 

"  Surrender !"  interrupted  the  veteran,  in  a 
voice  that  startled  his  hearers,  and  which  actually 
caused  his  own  forces  to  recoil  several  paces ; 
"  Surrender,  Benjamin  Pengullum,  or  expect  no 
quarter." 

."  Damn  your  quarter,"  said  Benjamin,  rising 
from  the  log  on  which  he  was  seated,  and  taking 
a  squint  along  the  barrel  of  the  swivel,  which  had 
been  brought  on  the  hill,  during  the  night,  and  now 
formed  the  means  of  defence  on  his  side  of  the 
works.  "  Look  you,  Master,  or  Captain,  thof  I 
questions  if  ye  know  the  name  of  a  rope,  except 
the  one  that's  to  hang  ye,  there's  no  need  of  sing 
ing  out,  just  as  if  ye  was  hailing  a  deaf  man  on  a 
top-gallant-yard.  Mayhap  you  think  you've  got 
my  true  name  in  your  sheep-skin  ;  but  what  Bri 
tish  sailor  finds  it  worth  while  to  sail  in  these 
seas,  without  a  sham  on  his  stern,  in  case  of  need, 
d'ye  see.  If  you  call  me  Penguillan,  you  calls  me 
by  the  name  of  the  man  on  whose  land,  d'ye  see,  I 
hove  into  daylight ;  and  he  was  a  gentleman  ;  and 
that's  more  than  my  worst  enemy  will  say  of  any 
of  the  family  of  Benjamin  Stubbs." 

u  Send  the  warrant  round  to  me.  and  I'll  put  in 
an  alias,"  cried  Hiram,  from  behind  his  cover. 

"  Put  in  a  jackass,  and  you'll    jut  in  yourself, 


576  THE    PIONEERS. 

Mister  Doo-but-little,"  shouted  Benjamin,  who 
kept  squinting  along  his  little  iron  tube,  with  great 
steadiness. 

"  I  give  you  but  one  moment  to  yeld  in,"  cried 
iRichard.  u  Benjamin  !  Benjamin  !  this  is  not  the 
gratitude  I  expected  from  you." 

"  I  tell  you,  Richard  Jones,"  said  Natty,  who 
dreaded  the  sheriff's  influence  over  his  comrade  ; 
'  though  the  canister  the  gal  brought  be  lost, 
.here's  powder  enough  in  the  cave  to  lift  the  rock 
you  stand  on.  I'll  take  off  my  roof,  if  you  don't 
hold  your  peace." 

"  I  think  it  beneath  the  dignity  of  my  office  to 
parley  further  with  the  prisoners,"  the  sheriff  ob 
served  to  his  companion,  while  they  both  retired 
with  a  precipitancy  that  Captain  Hollister  mistook 
for  the  signal  to  advance. 

"  Charge   baggonet !"    shouted    the    veteran  , 
"  march  !" 

Although  this  signal  was  certainly  expected,  it 
took  the  assailed  a  little  by  surprise,  and  the  vete 
ran  approached  the  works,  crying,  "  courage,  my 
brave  lads !  give  them  no  quarter  unless  they  sur 
render,"  and  struck  a  furious  blow  upwards  with 
his  sabre,  that  would  have  divided  the  steward  in 
moieties,  by  subjecting  him  to  the  process  of  de 
capitation,  but  for  the  fortunate  interference  of  the 
muzzle  of  the  swivel.  As  it  was,  the  gun  was  dis 
mounted  at  the  critical  moment  that  Benjamin  was 
applying  his  pipe  to  the  priming,  and  in  conse 
quence,  some  five  or  six  dozen  of  rifle  bullets  were 
projected  into  the  air,  in  nearly  a  perpendicular 
line.  Philosophy  teaches  us  that  the  atmosphere 
will  not  retain  lead ;  and  two  pounds  of  the  metal, 
moulded  into  bullets  of  thirty  to  the  pound,  after 
describing  an  ellipsis  in  their  journey,  returned  to 
the  earth,  rattling  among  the  branches  of  the  trees 


THE    PIONEERS.  577 

directly  over  the  heads  of  the  troops  stationed  in 
the  rear  of  their  captain.  Much  of  the  success  of 
an  attack,  made  by  irregular  soldiers,  depends  on 
which  way  they  are  first  got  in  motion.  In  the 
present  instance,  it  was  retrograde,  and  in  less  than 
a  minute  after  the  loud  bellowing  report  of  the 
swivel  among  the  rocks  and  caverns,  the  whole 
weight  of  the  attack,  from  the  left,  rested  on  the 
prowess  of  the  single  arm  of  the  veteran.  Benja 
min  received  a  severe  contusion  from  the  recoil  of 
his  gun,  which  produced  a  short  stupor,  during 
which  period  the  ex-steward  was  prostrate  on  the 
ground.  Captain  Hollister  availed  himself  of  this 
circumstance  to  scramble  over  the  breast-work,  and 
obtain  a  footing  in  the  bastion — for  such  was  the 
nature  of  the  fortress,  as  connected  with  the  cave. 
The  moment  the  veteran  found  himself  within  the 
works  of  his  enemy,  he  rushed  to  the  edge  of  the 
fortification,  and  waving  his  sabre  over  his  head, 
shouted — 

"  Victory !  come  on,  my  brave  boys,  the  work's 
our  own!" 

All  this  was  perfectly  military,  and  was  such 
an  example  as  a  gallant  officer  was  in  some  mea 
sure  bound  to  exhibit  to  his  men  ;  but  the  outcry 
was  the  unlucky  cause  of  turning  the  tide  of  suc 
cess.  Natty,  who  had  been  keeping  a  vigilant  eye 
on  the  wood-chopper,  and  the  enemy  immediately 
before  him,  wheeled  at  this  alarm,  and  was  appal 
led  at  beholding  his  comrade  on  the  ground,  and 
the  veteran  standing  on  his  own  bulwark,  giving 
forth  the  cry  of  victory !  The  muzzle  of  the  long 
rifle  was  turned  instantly  towards  the  captain. 
There  was  a  moment  when  the  life  of  the  old  sol 
dier  was  in  great  jeopardy  ;  but  the  object  to  shoot 
at  was  both  too  large  and  too  near  for  the  Leather- 
stocking,  who,  instead  of  pulling  his  trigger,  ap- 
49 


578  THE    PIONEERS. 

plied  the  gun  to  the  rear  of  his  enemy,  and  by  a 
powerful  shove  sent  him  outside  of  the  works  with 
much  greater  rapidity  than  he  had  entered  them. 
The  spot  on  which  Captain  Hollister  alighted  was 
directly  in  front,  where,  as  his  feet  touched  the 
ground,  so  steep  and  slippery  was  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  it  seemed  to  recede  from  under  them. 
His  motion  was  wonderfully  swift,  and  so  irregular, 
as  utterly  to  confuse  the  faculties  of  the  old  sol 
dier.  During  its  continuance,  he  supposed  himself 
to  be  mounted,  and  charging  through  the  ranks  of 
his  enemy.  At  every  tree  he  made  a  blow,  of 
course,  as  at  a  foot-soldier ;  and  just  as  he  was 
making  the  cut  "  St.  George"  at  a  half-burnt  sap 
ling,  he  landed  in  the  highway,  and,  to  his  utter 
amazement,  at  the  feet  of  his  own  spouse.  When 
Mrs.  Hollister,  who  was  toiling  up  the  hill,  follow 
ed  by  at  least  twenty  curious  boys,  leaning  with 
one  hand  on  the  staff  with  which  she  ordinarily 
walked,  and  bearing  in  the  other  an  empty  bag, 
witnessed  this  exploit  of  her  husband,  indignation 
immediately  got  the  better,  not  only  of  her  religion, 
but  of  her  philosophy. 

"  Why,  sargeant !  is  it  flying  ye  are  ?"  she 
cried — "  That  I  should  live  to  see  a  husband  of 
mine  turn  his  back  to  the  inimy  !  and  sich  a  one  I 
Here  have  I  been  telling  the  b'ys,  as  we  come 
along,  all  about  the  saige  of  Yorrektown,  and  how  ye 
was  hurted  ;  and  how  ye'd  be  acting  the  same  ag'in 
the  day  ;  and  I  mate  ye  retraiting  jist  as  the  first 
gun  is  fired.  Och  ;  I  may  trow  away  the  bag  !  for 
if  there's  plunder,  'twill  not  be  the  wife  of  sich 
as  yeerself  that  will  be  privileged  to  be  getting  the 
same.  They  do  say,  too,  there  is  a  power  of  goold 
and  silver  in  the  place — the  Lord  forgive  me  for 
setting  my  heart  on  sich  worreldly  things ;  but 


THE    PIONEERS.  579 

what  falls  in  the  battle,  there's  Scripter  for  believ 
ing  it  the  just  property  of  the  victor." 

"  Retreating  !"  exclaimed  the  amazed  veteran ; 
"  where's  my  horse  ?  he  has  been  shot  under 
me— I—" 

"  Is  the  man  mad  !"  interrupted  his  wife — "  divil 
the  horse  do  ye  own,  sargeant,  and  yee're  nothing 
but  a  shabby  captain  of  malaishy.  Och  !  if  the 
ra'al  captain  was  here,  'tis  the  other  way  ye'd  be 
riding,  dear,  or  you  would  not  follow  your  lader !" 

While  this  worthy  couple  were  thus  discussing 
events,  the  battle  began  to  rage  more  violently  than 
ever,  above  them.  When  the  Leather-stocking 
saw  his  enemy  fairly  under  head-way,  as  Benjamin 
would  express  it,  he  gave  his  attention  again  to  the 
right  wing  of  the  assailants.  It  would  have  been 
easy  for  Kirby,  with  his  powerful  frame,  to  have 
seized  the  moment  to  scale  the  bastion,  and,  with 
his  great  strength,  to  have  sent  both  its  defenders 
in  pursuit  of  the  veteran  ;  but  hostility  appeared 
to  be  the  passion  that  the  wood-chopper  indulged 
the  least  in,  at  that  moment,  for,  in  a  voice  that 
was  heard  even  by  the  retreating  left  wing,  he 
shouted — 

"  Hurrah  !  well  done,  captain  !  keep  it  up  !  how 
he  handles  his  bush  hook  !  he  makes  nothing  of  a 
sapling  !"  and  such  other  encouraging  exclamations 
to  the  flying  veteran,  until,  overcome  by  his  mirth, 
the  good-natured  fellow  seated"  himself  on  the 
ground,  kicking  the  earth  with  delight,  and  giving 
vent  to  peal  after  peal  of  laughter. 

Natty  stood  all  this  time  in  a  menacing  attitude, 
with  his  rifle  pointed  over  his  breast-work,  watch 
ing  with  a  quick  and  cautious  eye  the  least  move 
ment  of  the  assailants.  The  outcry  unfortunately 
tempted  the  ungovernable  curiosity  of  Hiram  to 
take  a  peep  from  behind  his  cover  at  "the  state  of  the 


580  THE    PIONEERS. 

battle.  Though  this  evolution  was  performed  with 
great  caution,  in  protecting  his  front,  he  left,  like 
many  a  better  commander,  his  rear  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  his  enemy.  Mr.  Doolittle  belonged  phy 
sically  to  a  class  of  his  countrymen,  to  whom  na 
ture  has  denied,  in  their  formation,  the  use  of  curv 
ed  lines.  Every  thing  about  him  was  either  straight 
or  angular.  But  his  tailor  was  a  woman  who  work 
ed,  like  a  regimental  contractor,  by  a  set  of  rules 
that  gave  the  same  configuration  to  the  whole  hu 
man  species.  Consequently,  when  Mr.  Doolittle 
leaned  forward  in  the  manner  described,  a  loose 
drapery  appeared  behind  the  tree,  at  which  the  ri 
fle  of  Natty  was  pointed  with  the  quickness  ol 
lightning.  A  less  experienced  man  would  have 
aimed  at  the  flowing  robe,  which  hung  like  a  fes 
toon  half  way  to  the  earth  ;  b  it  the  Leather-stock 
ing  knew  both  the  man  and  .His  female  tailor  bet 
ter,  and  when  the  smart  report  of  the  rifle  was 
heard,  Kirby,  who  watched  the  whole  manoeuvre 
in  breathless  expectation,  saw  the  bark  fly  from  the 
beech,  and  the  cloth,  at  some  distance  above  the 
loose  folds,  wave  at  the  same  instant.  No  battery 
was  ever  unmasked  with  more  promptitude  than 
Hiram  advanced  from  behind  the  tree,  at  this  sum 
mons. 

He  made  two  or  three  steps,  with  great  precision, 
to  the  front,  and,  placing  one  hand  on  the  afflicted 
part,  stretched  forth  the  other,  with  a  menacing  air, 
towards  Natty,  and  cried  aloud — 

"  Gawl  darn  ye  !  this  shan't  be  settled  so  easy ; 
I'll  follow  it  up  from  the  '  common  pleas'  to  the 
'  court  of  errors.'  " 

Such  a  shocking  imprecation,  from  the  mouth  of 
so  orderly  a  man  as  Squire  Doolittle,  with  the  fear 
less  manner  in  which  he  exposed  himself,  together 
with,  perhaps-,  the  knowledge  that  Natty's  rifle  was 


THE    PIONEERS.  581 

unloaded,  encouraged  the  troops  in  the  rear,  who 
gave  a  loud  shout,  and  fired  a  volley  into  the  tree- 
tops,  after  the  contents  of  the  swivel.  Animated 
by  their  own  noise,  the  men  now  rushed  on  in  ear 
nest,  and  Billy  Kirby,  who  thought  the  joke,  good 
as  it  was,  had  gone  far  enough,  was  in  the  act  of 
scaling  the  works,  when  Judge  Temple  appeared 
on  the  opposite  side,  exclaiming — 

"  Silence  and  peace  !  why  do  I  see  murder  and 
bloodshed  attempted  !  is  not  the  law  sufficient  to 
protect  itself,  that  armed  bands  must  be  gathered, 
as  in  rebellion  and  war,  to  see  justice  performed  !" 

"  Tis  the  posse  comitatus,"  shouted  the  She 
riff,  from  a  distant  rock,  "  who" — 

"  Say  rather  a  posse  of  demons.  I  command 
the  peace." — 

"  Hold !  shed  not  blood  !"  cried  a  voice  from 
the  top  of  the  Vision — "  Hold !  for  the  sake  of 
Heaven,  fire  no  more  !  all  shall  be  yielded  !  you 
shall  enter  the  cave  !" 

Amazement  produced  the  desired  effect.  Natty, 
who  had  reloaded  his  piece,  quietly  seated  him 
self  on  the  logs,  and  rested  his  head  on  his  hand, 
while  the  "  Light  Infantry"  ceased  their  military 
movements,  and  waited  the  issue  in  mute  sus 
pense. 

In  less  than  a  minute  Edwards  came  rushing 
down  the  hill,  followed  by  Major  Hartmann  with  a 
velocity  that  was  surprising  for  his  years.  They 
reached  the  terrace  in  an  instant,  from  which  the 
youth  led  the  way,  by  the  hollow  in  the  rock,  to 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  into  which  they  both  en 
tered  ;  leaving  all  without  silent  and  gazing  after 
them  with  astonishment. 
49  * 


CHAPTER  XL. 


"  I  am  dumb. 
Were  you  the  Doctor,  and  I  knew  you  not  ln 

Shakspeare. 


DURING  the  five  or  six  minutes  that  elapsed  be 
fore  the  youth  and  Major  reappeared,  Judge  Tern 
pie  and  the  Sheriff,  together  with  most  of  the  vo 
lunteers,  ascended  to  the  terrace,  where  the  latter 
began  to  express  their  conjectures  of  the  result, 
and  to  recount  their  individual  services  in  the  con 
flict.     But  the  sight  of  the  peace-makers,  ascend 
ing  the  ravine,  shut  every  mouth. 

On  a  rude  chair,  covered  with  undressed  deer 
skins,  they  supported  a  human  being,  whom  they 
seated  carefully  and  respectfully  in  the  midst  ot 
the  assembly.  His  head  was  covered  by  long, 
smooth  locks,  of  the  colour  of  snov.  His  dress, 
which  was  studiously  neat  and  clean,  was  com 
posed  of  such  fabrics  as  none  but  the  wealthiest 
classes  wear,  but  was  threadbare  and  patched  ;  and 
on  his  feet  were  placed  a  pair  of  moccasins,  orna 
mented  in  the  best  manner  of  Indian  ingenuity. 
The  outlines  of  his  face  were  grave  and  dignified, 
though  his  vacant  eye,  which  opened  and  turned 
slowly  to  the  faces  of  those  around  him  in  unmean- 


THE    PIONEERS.  583 

ing  looks,  too  surely  announced  that  the  period 
had  arrived,  when  age  brings  the  mental  imbecility 
of  childhood. 

Natty  had  followed  the  supporters  of  this  unex 
pected  object  to  the  top  of  the  cave,  and  took  his 
station  at  a  little  distance  behind  him,  leaning  on 
his  rifle,  in  the  midst  of  his  pursuers,  with  a  fear 
lessness  which  showed  that  heavier  interests  than 
those  which  affected  himself  were  to  be  decided. 
Major  Hartrnann  placed  himself  beside  the  aged 
man,  uncovered,  with  his  whole  soul  beaming 
through  those  eyes  which  so  commonly  danced 
with  frolic  and  humour.  Edwards  rested  with  one 
hand  familiarly,  but  affectionately,  on  the  chair, 
though  hie  heart  was  swelling  with  emotions  that 
denied  him  utterance. 

All  eyes  were  gazing  intently,  but  each  tongue 
continued  mute.  At  length  the  decrepit  stranger, 
turning  his  vacant  looks  from  face  to  face,  made  a 
feeble  attempt  to  rise,  while  a  faint  smile  crossed 
his  wasted  face,  like  an  habitual  effort  at  courtesy, 
as  he  said,  in  a  hollow,  tremulous  voice — 

"  Be  pleased  to  be  seated,  gentlemen.  The 
council  will  open  immediately.  Each  one  who 
loves  a  good  and  virtuous  king,  will  wish  to  see 
these  colonies  continue  loyal.  Be  seated — I  pray 
you,  be  seated,  gentlemen.  The  troops  shall  halt 
for  the  night" 

"  This  is  the  wandering  of  insanity  !"  said  Mar- 
maduke ;  "  who  will  explain  this  scene  ?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Edwards,  firmly,  "  'tis  only  the 
decay  of  nature  ;  who  is  answerable  for  its  pitiful 
condition,  remains  to  be  shown." 

"  Will  the  gentlemen  dine  with  us,  my  son  ?" 
said  the  old  stranger,  turning  to  a  voice  that  he 
both  knew  and  loved.  "  Order  a  repast  suitable 

VOL.  II. 


584  THE    PIONEERS. 

for  his  Majesty's  officers.  You  know  we  have  the 
best  of  game  always  at  our  command." 

"Who  is  this  man?"  asked  Marmaduke,  in  a 
hurried  voice,  in  which  the  dawnings  of  conjec 
ture  united  with  interest  to  put  the  question. 

"  This  man !"  returned  Edwards  calmly,  his 
voice,  however,  gradually  rising  as  he  proceeded  ; 
"  this  man,  sir,  whom  you  behold  hid  in  caverns, 
and  deprived  of  every  thing  that  can  make  life  de 
sirable,  was  once  the  companion  and  counsellor  of 
those  who  ruled  your  country.  This  man,  whom 
you  see,  helpless  and  feeble,  was  once  a  warrior, 
so  brave  and  fearless,  that  even  the  intrepid  natives 
gave  him  the  name  of  the  Fire-eater.  This  man, 
whom  you  now  see  destitute  of  even  the  ordinary 
comfort  of  a  cabin,  in  which  to  shelter  his  head, 
was  once  the  owner  of  great  riches ;  and,  Judge 
Temple,  he  was  the  rightful  proprietor  of  this  very 
soil  on  which  we  stand.  This  man  was  the  father 
of"— 

"  This,  then,"  cried  Marmaduke,  with  powerful 
emotion, "  this,  then,  is  the  lost  Major  Effingham !" 

"Emphatically  so,"  said  the  youth,  fixing  a 
piercing  eye  on  the  other. 

"  And  you  !  and  you  !"  continued  the  Judge  ar 
ticulating  with  difficulty. 

"I  am  his  grandson." 

A  minute  passed  in  profound  silence.  All  eyes 
were  fixed  on  the  speakers,  and  even  the  old  Ger 
man  appeared  to  wait  the  issue  in  deep  anxiety. 
But  the  moment  of  agitation  soon  passed.  Marma 
duke  raised  his  head  from  his  bosom,  where  it  had 
sunk,  not  in  shame,  but  in  devout  mental  thanks 
givings,  and,  as  large  tears  fell  over  his  fine  manly 
face,  he  grasped  the  hand  of  the  youth  warmly, 
and  said — 


THE   PIONEERS.  585 

"  Oliver,  I   forgive   all  thy  harshness — all  thy 
suspicions.    I  now  see  it  all.     I  forgive  thee  every 
thing,  but  suffering  this  aged  man  to  dwell  in  such 
a  place,  when  not  only  my  habitation,  but  my  for 
tune,  were  at  his  and  thy  command." 

"  He's  true  as  ter  steel !"  shouted  Major  Hart- 
mann ;  "  titn't  I  tell't  you,  lat,  dat  Marmatuke 
Temple  vast  a  frient  dat  woult  never  fail  in  ter 
dime  as  of  neet  ?" 

"  It  is  true,  Judge  Temple,  that  my  opinions  of 
your  conduct  have  been  staggered  by  what  this 
worthy  gentleman  has  told  me.  When  I  found  it 
impossible  to  convey  my  grandfather  back  whence 
the  enduring  love  of  this  old  man  brought  him, 
without  detection  and  exposure,  I  went  to  the  Mo  - 
hawk  in  quest  of  one  of  his  former  comrades,  in 
whose  justice  I  had  dependence.  He  is  your 
friend,  Judge  Temple,  but  if  what  he  says  be  true, 
both  my  father  and  myself  may  have  judged  you 
harshly." 

"  You  name  your  father!"  said  Marmaduke,  ten 
derly — "  Was  he,  indeed,  lost  in  the  packet  ?" 

"  He  was.  He  had  left  me,  after  several  years 
of  fruitless  application  and  comparative  poverty,  in 
Nova- Scotia,  to  obtain  the  compensation  for  his 
losses,  which  the  British  commissioners  had  at 
length  awarded.  After  spending  a  year  in  Eng 
land,  he  was  returning  to  Halifax,  on  his  way  to  a 
government,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed,  in 
the  West-Indies,  intending  to  go  to  the  place  where 
my  grandfather  had  sojourned  during  and  since  the 
war,  and  take  him  with  us." 

"  But,  thou !"  said  Marmaduke,  with  powerful 
interest ;  "  I  had  thought  that  thou  hadst  perished 
with  him." 

A  flush  passed  over  the  cheeks  of  the  young 
man,  who  gazed  about  him  at  the  wondering  faces 


586  THE    PIONEERS. 

of  the  volunteers,  and  continued  silent.      Marina 
duke  turned  to  the  veteran  captain,  who  just  then 
rejoined  his  command,  and  said — 

"March  thy  soldiers  back  again,  and  dismiss 
them  ;  the  zeal  of  the  sheriff  has  much  mistaken  his 
duty.  Dr.  Todd,  I  will  thank  you  to  attend  to  the 
injury  which  Hiram  Doolittle  has  received  in  this 
untoward  affair.  Richard,  you  will  oblige  me  by 
sending  up  the  carriage  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  Ben 
jamin,  return  to  your  duty  in  my  family." 

Unwelcome  as  these  orders  were  to  most  of  the 
auditors,  the  suspicion  that  they  had  somewhat  ex 
ceeded  the  wholesome  restraints  of  the  law,  and 
the  habitual  respect  with  which  all  the  commands 
of  the  Judge  were  received,  induced  a  prompt  com 
pliance. 

When  they  were  gone,  and  the  rock  was  left  to 
the  parties  most  interested  in  an  explanation,  Mar- 
maduke,  pointing  to  the  aged  Major  Effingham, 
said  to  his  grandson — 

"  Had  we  not  better  remove  thy  parent  from 
this  open  place,  until  my  carriage  can  arrive  ?" 

u  Pardon  me,  sir,  the  air  does  him  good,  and  he 
has  taken  it  whenever  there  was  no  dread  of  a  dis 
covery.  I  know  not  how  to  act,  Judge  Temple  ; 
ought  I,  can  I,  suffer  Major  Effingham  to  become 
an  inmate  of  your  family  ?" 

"  Thou  shalt  be  thyself  the  judge,"  said  Marma- 
duke.  "  Thy  father  was  my  early  friend.  He  in 
trusted  his  fortune  to  my  care.  When  we  sepa 
rated,  he  had  such  confidence  in  me,  that  he  wish 
ed  no  security,  no  evidence  of  the  trust,  even  had 
there  been  time  or  convenience  for  exacting  it. — 
This  thou  hast  heard  ?" 

"  Most  truly,  sir,"  said  Edwards,  or  rather  Ef- 
fmgham,  as  we  must  now  call  him,  with  a  bitter 
smile. 


THE    PIONEERS.  587 

<£  We  divided  in  politics.  If  the  cause  of  thig 
country  was  successful,  the  trust  was  sacred  with 
me,  for  none  knew  of  thy  father's  interest.  If  the 
crown  still  held  its  sway,  it  would  be  easy  to  re 
store  the  property  of  so  loyal  a  subject  as  Colonel 
Effingham. — Is  not  this  plain  ?" 

"  The  premises  are  good,  sir,"  continued  the 
youth,  with  the  same  incredulous  look  as  before. 

"  Listen — listen,  poy,"  said  the  German.  "  Dere 
is  not  a  hair  as  of  ter  rogue  in  ter  het  of  ter 
Tchooge." 

"  We  all  know  the  issue  of  the  struggle,"  con 
tinued  Marmaduke,  disregarding  both.  "  Thy 
grandfather  was  left  in  Connecticut,  regularly  sup 
plied  by  thy  father  with  the  means  of  such  a  sub 
sistence  as  suited  his  wants.  This  I  well  knew, 
though  I  never  had  intercourse  with  him,  even  in 
our  happiest  days.  Thy  father  retired  with  the 
troops  to  prosecute  his  claims  on  England.  At  all 
events,  his  losses  must  be  great,  for  his  real  estates 
were  sold,  and  I  became  the  lawful  purchaser.  It 
was  not  unnatural  to  wish  that  he  might  have  no 
bar  to  his  just  recovery  ?" 

"  There  was  none,  but  the  difficulty  of  providing 
for  so  many  claimants." 

"  But  there  would  have  beep  one,  and  an  insu 
perable  one,  had  I  announced  to  the  world  that  I 
held  these  estates,  multiplied,  by  the  times  and  my 
industry,  a  hundred  fold  in  valve,  only  as  his  trus 
tee.  Thou  knowest  that  I  supplied  him  with  con 
siderable  sums,  immediately  after  the  war." 

"  You  did,  until"— 

"  My  letters  were  returned  unopened.  Thy 
father  had  much  of  thy  own  spirit,  Oliver ;  he  was 
sometimes  hasty  and  rash."  Tfoe  Judge  continued, 
in  a  self-condemning  manner—  -u  Perbwaps  my  fault 
lies  the  other  way  ;  I  may  ?  *?foiy  kw*fr  too  far 


588  THE    PIONEERS. 

ahead,  and  calculate  too  deeply.  It  certainly  was 
a  severe  trial  to  allow  the  man,  whom  I  most  lov 
ed,  to  think  ill  of  me  for  seven  years,  in  order  that 
he  might  honestly  apply  for  his  just  remunerations. 
But  had  he  opened  my  last  letters,  thou  wouldst 
have  learnt  the  whole  truth.  Those  I  sent  him  to 
England,  by  what  my  agent  writes  me,  he  did  read. 
He  died,  Oliver,  knowing  all.  He  died  my  friend, 
and  I  thought  thou  hadst  died  with  him." 

"  Our  poverty  would  not  permit  us  to  pay  for 
two  passages,"  said  the  youth,  with  the  extraordi 
nary  emotion  with  which  he  ever  alluded  to  the 
degraded  state  of  his  family ;  "  I  was  left  in  the 
Province  to  wait  for  his  return,  and  when  the  sad 
news  of  his  loss  reached  me,  I  was  nearly  penny- 
less." 

"  And  what  didst  thou,  boy  ?"  asked  Marmaduko, 
in  a  faltering  voice. 

"  I  took  my  passage  here  in  search  of  my  grand 
father  ;  for  I  well  knew  that  his  resources  were 
gone,  with  the  half-pay  of  my  father.  On  reaching  his 
abode,  I  learnt  that  he  had  left  it  in  secret ;  though 
the  reluctant  hireling,  who  deserted  him  in  his  pover 
ty,  owned  to  my  urgent  entreaties,  that  he  believ 
ed  he  had  been  carried  away  by  an  old  man,  who 
had  formerly  been  his  servant.  I  knew  at  once  it 
was  Natty,  for  my  father  often" 

"  Was  Natty  a  servant  to  thy  grandfather  ?"  ex 
claimed  the  Judge. 

"  Of  that  too  were  you  ignorant  ?"  said  the  youth, 
in  evident  surprise. 

"  How  should  I  know  it  ?  I  never  met  the  Major, 
nor  was  the  name  of  Bumppo  ever  mentioned  to 
me.  I  knew  him  only  as  a  man  of  the  woods,  and 
one  who  lived  by  hunting.  Such  men  are  too  com 
mon  to  excite  surprise." 

"  He  was  reared  in  the  family  of  my  grandfa 


THE    PIONEERS.  589 

ther  ;  served  him  for  many  years  during  their  cam 
paigns  at  the  west,  where  he  became  attached  to 
the  woods  ;  and  he  was  left  here  as  a  kind  of  lo 
cum  tenens  on  the  lands  that  old  Mohegan  ( whose 
life  my  grandfather  once  saved)  induced  the  Dela- 
wares  to  grant  to  him,  when  they  admitted  him  as 
an  honorary  member  of  their  tribe." 

"  This,  then,  is  thy  Indian  blood  ?" 

"  I  have  no  other,"  said  Edwards,  smiling  ;— - 
"  Major  Effingham  was  adopted  as  the  son  of 
Mohegan,  who  at  that  time  was  the  greatest  man 
in  his  nation ;  and  my  father,  who  visited  those 
people  when  a  boy,  received  the  name  of  the  Eagle 
from  them,  on  account  of  the  shape  of  his  face,  as  I 
understand.  They  have  extended  his  title  to  me. 
I  have  no  other  Indian  blood  or  breeding  ;  though 
I  have  seen  the  hour,  Judge  Temple,  when  I  could 
wish  that  such  had  been  my  lineage  and  educa 
tion." 

"  Proceed  with  thy  tale,"  said  Marmaduke. 

"  I  have  but  little  more  to  say,  sir.  I  followed 
to  the  lake  where  I  had  so  often  been  told  that 
Natty  dwelt,  and  found  him  maintaining  his  old 
master  in  secret ;  for  even  he  could  not  bear  to  ex 
hibit  to  the  world,  in  his  poverty  and  dotage,  a 
man  whom  a  whole  people  once  looked  up  to  with 
respect." 

"  And  what  did  you  ?" 

"  What  did  I !  I  spent  my  last  money  in  pur 
chasing  a  rifle,  clad  myself  in  a  coarse  garb,  and 
learned  to  be  a  hunter  by  the  side  of  Leather-stock 
ing.  You  know  the  rest,  Judge  Temple." 

"  Ant  vere  vast  olt  Fritz  Hartmann  !"  said  the 
German,  reproachfully  ;  "  didst  never  hear  a  name 
as  of  olt  Fritz  Hartmann  from  ter  mout  of  ter  fa 
der,  lat  ?" 

'<  I  may  have  been  mistaken,  gentlemen/1  re- 
50 


590  THE    PIONEERS. 

turned  the  youth ;  "  but  I  had  pride,  and  could 
not  submit  to  such  an  exposure  as  this  day  even 
has  reluctantly  brought  to  light.  I  had  plans  that 
might  have  been  visionary  ;  but,  should  my  parent 
survive  till  autumn,  I  purposed  taking  him  with 
me  to  the  city,  where  we  have  distant  relatives, 
who  must  have  learnt  to  forget  the  Tory  by  this 
time.  He  decays  rapidly,"  he  continued,  mourn 
fully,  "  and  must  soon  lie  by  the  side  of  old  Mo- 
hegan." 

The  air  being  pure,  and  the  day  fine,  the  party 
continued  conversing  on  the  rock,  until  the  wheels 
of  Judge  Temple's  carriage  were  heard  clattering 
up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  during  which  time  the 
conversation  was  maintained  with  deep  interest, 
each  moment  clearing  up  some  doubtful  action,  and 
lessening  the  antipathy  of  the  youth  to  Manna- 
duke.  He  no  longer  objected  to  the  removal  of 
his  grandfather,  who  displayed  a  childish  pleasure 
when  he  found  himself  seated  once  more  in  a  car 
riage.  When  placed  in  the  ample  hall  of  the  Man 
sion-house,  the  eyes  of  the  aged  veteran  turned 
slowly  to  the  objects  in  the  apartment,  and  a  look 
like  the  dawn  of  intellect  would,  for  moments,  flit 
across  his  features,  when  he  invariably  offered 
some  useless  courtesies  to  those  near  him,  wan 
dering,  painfully,  in  his  subjects.  The  exercise 
and  the  change  soon  produced  an  exhaustion,  that 
caused  them  to  remove  him  to  his  bed,  where  he 
lay  for  hours,  evidently  sensible  of  the  change  in 
his  comforts,  and  exhibiting  that  mortifying  picture 
of  human  nature,  which  too  plainly  shows,  that  the 
propensities  of  the  animal  continue  even  after  the 
nobler  part  of  the  creature  appears  to  have  va 
nished. 

Until  his  parent  was  placed  comfortably  in  bed, 
with  Natty  seated  at  his  side,  Effingham  did  not 


THE   PIONEERS.  591 

quit  him.  He  then  obeyed  a  summons  to  the  li 
brary  of  the  Judge,  where  he  found  the  latter,  with 
Major  Hartmann,  waiting  for  him. 

"  Read  this  paper,  Oliver,"  said  Marmaduke  to 
him,  as  he  entered,  "  and  thou  wilt  find  that,  so  far 
from  intending  thy  family  wrong  during  life,  it  has 
been  my  care  to  provide  that  justice  should  be 
done  at  even  a  later  day." 

The  youth  took  the  paper,  which  his  first  glance 
told  him  was  the  will  of  the  Judge.  Hurried  and 
agitated  as  he  was,  he  discovered  that  the  date 
corresponded  with  the  time  of  the  unusual  depres 
sion  of  Marmaduke.  As  he  proceeded,  his  eyes 
began  to  moisten,  and  the  hand  which  held  the  in 
strument  shook  violently. 

The  will  commenced  with  the  usual  forms,  spun 
cut  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Van  der  School ;  but 
after  this  subject  was  fairly  exhausted,  the  pen  of 
Marmaduke  became  plainly  visible.  In  clear,  dis 
tinct,  manly,  and  even  eloquent  language,  he  re 
counted  his  obligations  to  Colonel  Effmgham,  the 
nature  of  their  connexion,  and  the  circumstances 
in  which  they  separated.  He  then  proceeded  to 
relate  the  motives  for  his  long  silence,  mentioning, 
however,  large  sums  that  he  had  forwarded  to  his 
friend,  which  had  been  returned,  with  the  letters 
unopened.  After  this,  he  spoke  of  his  search  for 
the  grandfather,  who  had  unaccountably  disap 
peared,  and  his  fears  that  the  direct  heir  of  the 
trust  was  buried  in  the  ocean  with  his  father. 

After,  in  short,  recounting  in  a  clear  narrative, 
the  events  which  our  readers  must  now  be  able  to 
connect,  he  proceeded  to  make  a  fair  and  exact 
statement  of  the  sums  left  in  his  care  by  Colonel 
Effingham.  A  devise  of  his  whole  estate  to  cer 
tain  responsible  trustees  followed  ;  to  hold  the 
same  for  the  benefit,  in  equal  moieties,  of  his  daugh 


592  THE    PIONEEBS. 

ter,  on  one  part,  and  of  Oliver  Effingham,  formerly 
a  major  in  the  army  of  Great  Britain,  and  of  his 
son  Edward  Effingham,  and  of  his  son  Edward 
Oliver  Effingham,  or  to  the  survivor  of  them,  and 
the  descendants  of  such  survivor,  for  ever,  on  the 
other  part.  The  trust  was  to  endure  until  1810, 
when,  if  no  person  appeared,  or  could  be  found, 
after  sufficient  notice,  to  claim  the  moiety  so  de 
vised,  then  a  certain  sum,  calculating  the  principal 
and  interest  of  his  debt  to  Colonel  Effingham,  was 
to  be  paid  to  the  heirs  at  law  of  the  Effingham  fa 
mily,  and  the  bulk  of  his  estate  was  to  be  conveyed 
in  fee  to  his  daughter,  or  her  heirs. 

The  tears  fell  from  the  eyes  of  the  young  man, 
as  he  read  this  undeniable  testimony  of  the  good 
faith  of  Marmaduke,  and  his  bewildered  gaze  was 
still  fastened  on  the  paper,  when  a  sweet  voice, 
that  thrilled  on  every  nerve,  spoke,  near  him, 
saying, 

"  Do  you  yet  doubt  us,  Oliver  ?" 

"  I  have  never  doubted  you  /"  cried  the  youth, 
recovering  his  recollection  and  his  voice,  as  he 
sprung  to  seize  the  hand  of  Elizabeth ;  "  no,  not 
one  moment  has  my  faith  in  you  wavered." 

"  And  my  father"— 

"  God  bless  him  !» 

"  I  thank  thee,  my  son,"  said  the  Judge,  ex 
changing  a  warm  pressure  of  the  hand  with  the 
youth  ;  "  but  we  have  both  erred  ;  thou  hast  been 
too  hasty,  and  I  have  been  too  slow.  One  half  of 
my  estates  shall  be  thine  as  soon  as  they  can  be 
conveyed  to  thee  ;  and  if  what  my  suspicions  tell 
me  be  true,  I  suppose  the  other  must  follow  speed 
ily."  He  took  the  hand  which  he  held,  and  united 
it  with  that  of  his  daughter,  and  motioned  towards 
the  door  to  the  Major. 

"  I  telt  you  vat,  gal !"  said  the  old  German,  good 


THE    PIONEERS.  593 

humouredly ;  "  if  I  vast,  ast  I  vast  ven  I  servit 
mit  his  grantfader  on  ter  lakes,  ter  lazy  tog  shouln't 
vin  ter  prize  as  for  nottin." 

"  Come,  come,  old  Fritz," cried  the  Judge  ;  "you 
are  seventy,  not  seventeen  ;  Richard  waits  for  you 
with  a  bowl  of  egg-nog,  in  the  hall." 

"  Richart !  ter  duyvel !"  exclaimed  the  other, 
hastening  out  of  the  room ;  "  he  makes  ter  nog  ast 
for  ter  horse.  I  vilt  show  ter  sheriff  mit  my  own 
hants  !  Ter  duyvel !  I  pelieve  he  sweetens  mit  ter 
yankee  melasses !" 

Marmaduke  smiled  and  nodded  affectionately  at 
the  young  couple,  and  closed  the  door  after  them. 
If  any  of  our  readers  expect  that  we  are  going  to 
open  it  again,  for  their  gratification,  they  will  soon 
find  themselves  in  a  mistake. 

The  tete-a-tete  continued  for  a  very  unreasona 
ble  time ;  how  long  we  shall  not  say  ;  but  it  was 
ended  by  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  for  at  that 
hour  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  made  his  appearance, 
agreeably  to  the  appointment  of  the  preceding  day, 
and  claimed  the  ear  of  Miss  Temple.  He  was  ad 
mitted  ;  when  he  made  an  offer  of  his  hand,  with 
much  suavity,  together  with  his  "  amis  beeg  and 
leet',  his  pere,  his  mere,  and  his  suere-boosh."  Eli 
zabeth  might,  possibly,  have  previously  entered 
into  some  embarrassing  and  binding  engagements 
with  Oliver,  for  she  declined  the  tender  of  all,  in 
terms  as  polite,  though  perhaps  a  little  more  de 
cided,  than  those  in  which  they  were  made. 

The  Frenchman  soon  joined  the  German  and 
the  Sheriff  in  the  hall,  who  compelled  him  to  take 
a  seat  with  them  at  the  table,  where,  by  the  aid  of 
punch,  wine,  and  egg-nog,  they  soon  extracted  from 
the  complaisant  Mr.  Le  Quoi  the  nature  of  his 
visit.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  made  the  offer, 
>s  a  duty  which  a  well-bred  man  owed  to  a  lady 
50* 


594  THE    PIONEERS. 

in  such  a  retired  place,  before  he  left  the  country, 
and  that  his  feelings  were  but  very  little,  if  at  all, 
interested  in  the  matter.  After  a  few  potations, 
the  waggish  pair  persuaded  the  exhilarated  French 
man  that  there  was  an  inexcusable  partiality  in  of 
fering  to  one  lady,  and  not  extending  a  similar  cour 
tesy  to  another.  Consequently,  about  nine,  Mon 
sieur  Le  Quoi  sallied  forth  to  the  Rectory,  on  a 
similar  mission  to  Miss  Grant,  which  proved  as  sue 
cessful  as  his  first  effort  in  love. 

When  he  returned  to  the  Mansion-house,  at  ten, 
Richard  and  the  Major  were  still  seated  at  the  ta 
ble.  They  attempted  to  persuade  the  Gaul  that 
he  should  next  try  Remarkable  Pettibone.  But, 
though  he  was  stimulated  by  mental  excitement 
and  wine,  two  hours  of  abstruse  logic  were  thrown 
away  on  this  subject ;  for  he  declined  their  advice, 
with  a  pertinacity  truly  astonishing  in  so  polite  a 
man. 

When  Benjamin  lighted  Monsieur  Le  Quoi  from 
the  door,  he  said,  at  parting — 

"  If-so-be,  Mounsheer,  you'd  run  alongside  Mis 
tress  Pretty-bones,  as  the  Squire  Dickens  was  bid 
ding  ye,  'tis  my  notion  you'd  have  been  grappled  ; 
in  which  case,  d'ye  see,  you  mought  have  been 
troubled  in  swinging  clear  again  in  a  handsome 
manner;  for  thof  Miss  'Lizzy  and  the  parson's 
young'un  be  tidy  little  vessels,  that  shoot  by  a  body 
on  a  wind,  Mistress  Remarkable  is  sum'mat  of  a 
galliot  fashion ;  when  you  once  takes  'em  in  tow, 
they  doesn't  like  to  be  cast  off  again." 


CHAPTEE  XLL 


*  Yea,  sweep  ye  on  ! — We  will  not  leave, 
For  them  who  triumph,  those  who  grieve. 

With  that  armada  gay 
Be  laughter  loud,  and  jocund  shout—      ^ 

—But  with  that  skiff 
Abides  the  minstrel  tale." 

Lord  of  the  Isles. 

THE  events  of  our  tale  carry  us  through  the 
summer ;  and,  after  making  nearly  the  circle  of  the 
year,  we  must  conclude  our  labours  in  the  delight 
ful  month  of  October.  Many  important  incidents 
had,  however,  occurred  in  the  intervening  period  ; 
a  few  of  which  it  may  be  necessary  to  recount. 

The  two  principal  were,  the  marriage  of  Oliver 
and  Elizabeth,  and  the  death  of  Major  Effingham. 
They  both  took  place  earlj*  in  September ;  and 
the  former  preceded  the  latter  only  by  a  few  days. 
The  old  man  passed  away  like  the  last  glimmering 
of  a  taper  ;  and  though  his  death  cast  a  melancholy 
over  the  family,  grief  could  not  follow  such  an  end. 

One  of  the  chief  concerns  of  Marmaduke  was  to 
reconcile  the  even  conduct  of  a  magistrate  with 
the  course  that  his  feelings  dictated  to  the  crimi 
nals.  The  day  succeeding  the  discovery  at  the 
cave,  however,  Natty  and  Benjamin  re-entered  the 
jail  peaceably,  where  they  continued,  well  fed  and 
comfortable,  until  the  return  of  an  express  to  Alba 
ny,  who  brought  the  Governor's  pardon  to  the 


596  THE    PIONEERS. 

Leather-stocking.  In  the  mean  time,  proper  means 
were  employed  to  satisfy  Hiram  for  the  assaults  on 
his  person  ;  and  on  the  same  day,  the  two  comrades 
issued  together  into  society  again,  with  their  cha 
racters  not  at  all  affected  by  their  imprisonment. 

Mr.  Doolittle  began  to  discover,  that  neither  his 
architecture,  nor  his  law,  was  quite  suitable  to  the 
growing  wealth  and  intelligence  of  the  settlement ; 
and,  after  exacting  the  last  cent  that  was  attainable 
in  his  compromises,  to  use  the  language  of  the  coun 
try,  he  "  pulled  up  stakes,"  and  proceeded  further 
west,  scattering  his  professional  science  and  legal 
learning  through  the  land;  vestiges  of  both  of 
which  are  to  Be  discovered  there  even  to  the  pre 
sent  hour. 

Poor  Jotham,  whose  life  paid  the  forfeiture  of 
his  folly,  acknowledged  before  he  died,  that  his 
reasons  for  believing  in  a  mine,  were  extracted 
from  the  lips  of  a  sybil,  who,  by  looking  in  a  magic 
glass,  was  enabled  to  discover  the  hidden  treasures 
of  the  earth.  Such  superstition  was  frequent  in 
the  new  settlements ;  and  after  the  first  surprise 
was  over,  fhe  better  part  of  the  community  forgot 
the  subject.  But,  at  the  same  time  that  it  removed 
from  the  breast  of  Richard  a  lingering  suspicion  of 
the  acts  of  the  three  hunters,  it  conveyed  a  morti 
fying  lesson  to  him,  which  brought  many  quiet 
hours,  in  future,  to  his  cousin  Marmaduke.  It  may 
be  remembered,  that  the  Sheriff  confidently  pro 
nounced  this  to  be  no  '  visionary'  scheme,  and  that 
word  was  enough  to  shut  his  lips,  at  any  time 
within  the  next  ten  years. 

Monsieur  Le  Quoi,  who  has  been  introduced  to 
our  readers,  because  no  picture  of  that  country 
would  be  faithful  without  such  a  Gaul,  found  the 
island  of  Martinique,  and  his  "  sucre-boosh,"  in 
possession  of  the  English;  but  Marmaduke  and 


THE   PIONEERS.  597 

his  family  were  much  gratified  in  soon  hearing 
that  he  had  returned  to  his  bureau,  in  Paris ; 
where  he  afterwards  issued  yearly  bulletins  of  his 
happiness,  and  of  his  gratitude  to  his  friends  in 
America. 

With  this  brief  explanation,  we  must  return  to 
our  narrative. — Let  the  American  reader  imagine 
one  of  our  mildest  October  mornings,  when  the  sun 
seems  a  ball  of  silvery  fire,  and  tht  elasticity  of 
the  air  is  felt  while  it  is  inhaled ;  imparting  vigour 
and  life  to  the  whole  system ; — the  weather,  nei 
ther  too  warm,  nor  too  cold,  but  of  that  happy  tem 
perature  which  stirs  the  blood,  without  bringing 
the  lassitude  of  spring. 

It  was  on  such  a  morning,  about  the  middle  of 
the  month,  that  Oliver  entered  the  hall,  where 
Elizabeth  was  issuing  her  usual  orders  for  the  day, 
and  requested  her  to  join  him  in  a  short  excursion 
to  the  lake  side.  The  tender  melancholy  in  the 
manner  of  her  husband  caught  the  attention  of 
Elizabeth,  who  instantly  abandoned  her  concerns, 
threw  a  light  shawl  across  her  shoulders,  and  con 
cealing  her  raven  hair  under  her  ginsy,  she  took 
his  arm,  and  submitted  herself,  without  a  question, 
to  his  guidance.  They  crossed  the  bridge,  and 
had  turned  from  the  highway,  along  the  margin  of 
the  lake,  before  a  word  was  exchanged.  Eliza 
beth  well  knew,  by  the  direction  they  took,  the 
object  of  their  walk,  and  respected  the  feelings  of 
her  companion  too  much  to  indulge  in  untimely 
conversation.  But  when  they  gained  the  open 
fields,  and*her  eye  roamed  over  the  placid  lake, 
covered  with  wild  fowl,  already  journeying  from 
the  great  Northern  waters,  to  seek  a  warmer  sun. 
but  lingering  to  play  in  the  limpid  sheet  of  the  Ot- 
eego,  and  to  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  which  were 


598  THE    PIONEERS. 

gay  with  the  thousand  dies  of  autumn,  as  if  to 
grace  their  bridal,  the  swelling  heart  of  the  young 
wife  burst  out  in  speech. 

"  This  is  not  a  time  for  silence,  Oliver  !"  she 
said,  clinging  more  fondly  to  his  arm ;  "  every  thing 
in  nature  seems  to  speak  the  praises  of  the  Crea 
tor;  why  should  we,  who  have  so  much  to  be 
grateful  for,  be  silent  ?" 

"  Speak  on  !"  said  her  husband,  smiling  ;  u  I  love 
the  sounds  of  your  voice.  You  must  anticipate 
our  errand  hither  ;  I  have  told  you  my  plans ;  how 
do  you  like  them  ?" 

"I  must  first  see  them,"  returned  his  wife. 
"  But  I  have  had  my  plans  too ;  it  is  time  I  should 
begin  to  divulge  them." 

"  You  !  It  is  something  for  the  comfort  of  my 
old  friend  Natty,  I  know." 

"  Certainly  of  Natty ;  but  we  have  other  friends 
besides  the  Leather-stocking  to  serve.  Do  you 
forget  Louisa,  and  her  father  ?" 

"  No,  surely ;  have  I  not  given  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  the  county  to  the  good  divine.  As  for 
Louisa,  I  should  wish  you  to  keep  her  always  near 
us." 

"  You  do,"  said  Elizabeth,  slightly  compressing 
her  lips  ;  "  but  poor  Louise  may  have  other  views 
for  herself;  she  may  wish  to  follow  my  example, 
and  marry." 

"  I  don't  think  it,"  said  Effingham,  musing  a  mo 
ment  ;  "  I  really  don't  know  any  one  hereabouts 
good  enough  for  her." 

"  Perhaps  not  here ;  but  there  are  other  places 
besides  Templeton,  and  other  churches  besides 
c  New  St.  Paul's.'  " 

"  Churches,  Elizabeth  !  you  would  not  wish  to 
lose  Mr.  Grant,  stirely  !  Though  simple,  he  is  aK 


THE    PIONEERS.  599 

excellent  man.  I  shall  never  find  another  who  has 
half  the  veneration  for  my  orthodoxy.  You  would 
humble  me  from  a  saint  to  a  very  common  sinner." 

"  It  must  be  done,  sir,"  returned  the  lady,  with 
a  half-concealed  smile,  "  though  it  degrades  you 
from  an  angel  to  a  man." 

"  But  you  forget  the  farm." 

"  He  can  lease  it,  as  others  do.  Besides,  would 
you  have  a  clergyman  toil  in  the  fields  ?" 

"  Where  can  he  go  ?  you  forget  Louisa." 

"  No,  I  do  not  forget  Louisa,"  said  Elizabeth, 
again  compressing  her  beautiful  lips.  "  You  know, 
Effingham,  that  my  father  has  told  you  that  I  ruled 
him,  and  that  I  should  rule  you.  I  am  now  about 
to  exert  my  power." 

"  Any  thing,  any  thing,  dear  Elizabeth,  but  not  at 
the  expense  of  us  all ;  not  at  the  expense  of  your 
friend." 

"  How  do  you  know,  sir,  that  it  will  be  so  much 
at  the  expense  of  my  friend  ?"  said  the  lady,  fixing 
her  eyes  with  a  searching  look  on  his  countenance, 
where  they  met  only  the  unsuspecting  expression 
of  manly  regret. 

"  How  do  I  know  it  ?  why,  it  is  natural  that 
she  should  regret  us." 

"  It  is  our  duty  to  struggle  with  our  natural  feel 
ings,"  returned  the  lady  ;  "  and  there  is  but  little 
cause  to  fear  that  such  a  spirit  as  Louisa's  will  not 
effect  it." 

"  But  what  is  your  plan  ?" 

"  Listen,  and  you  shall  know.  My  father  has 
procured  a  call  for  Mr.  Grant,  to  one  of  the  towns 
on  the  Hudson,  where  he  can  live  more  at  his  ease 
than  in  journeying  through  these  woods  ;  where  he 
can  spend  the  evening  of  his  life  in  comfort  and 
quiet ;  and  where  his  daughter  may  meet  with  such 


600  THE   PIONEERS. 

society,  and  form  such  a  connexion,  as  may  be  pro 
per  for  one  of  her  years  and  character." 

"  Why,  Bess  !  you  amaze  me  !  I  did  not  think 
you  had  been  such  a  manager  !" 

"  Oh  !  I  manage  more  deeply  than  you  imagine, 
sir,"  said  the  wife,  archly  smiling  again  ;  "  but  it  is 
my  will,  and  it  is  your  duty  to  submit, — for  a  time 
at  least." 

Effingham  laughed  ;  but  as  they  approached  the 
end  of  their  walk,  the  subject  was  changed  by  com 
mon  consent. 

The  place  at  which  they  arrived  was  the  little 
spot  of  level  ground,  where  the  cabin  of  the  Leather- 
stocking  had  so  long  stood.  Elizabeth  found  it  en 
tirely  cleared  of  rubbish,  and  beautifully  laid  down 
in  turf,  by  the  removal  of  sods,  which,  in  common 
with  the  surrounding  country,  had  grown  gay,  un 
der  the  influence  of  profuse  showers,  as  if  a  second 
spring  had  passed  over  the  land.  This  little  place 
was  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  mason  work,  and  they 
entered  by  a  small  gate,  near  which,  to  the  surprise 
of  both,  the  rifle  of  Natty  was  leaning  against  the 
wall.  Hector  and  the  slut  reposed  on  the  grass  by 
its  side,  as  if  conscious  that,  however  altered,  they 
were  lying  on  ground,  and  were  surrounded  by  ob 
jects,  with  which  they  were  familiar.  The  hunter 
himself  was  stretched  on  the  earth,  before  a  head 
stone  of  white  marble,  pushing  aside  with  his  fin 
gers  the  long  grass  that  had  already  sprung  up  from 
the  luxuriant  soil  around  its  base,  apparently  to  lay 
bare  the  inscription  that  was  there  engraven.  By 
the  side  of  this  stone,  which  was  a  simple  slab  at 
the  head  of  a  grave,  stood  a  rich  monument,  deco 
rated  with  an  urn,  and  ornamented  tastefully  with 
the  chisel. 

Oliver  and  Elizabeth  approached  the  graves,  with 


THE    PIONEERS.  601 

a  light  tread,  unheard  by  the  old  hunter,  whose  sun 
burnt  face  was  working  with  his  feelings,  and  whose 
eyes  twinkled  as  if  something  impeded  their  vision. 
After  some  little  time,  Natty  raised  himself  slowly 
from  the  ground,  and  said  aloud — 

"  Well,  well— Pm  bold  to  say  it's  all  right ! 
There's  something  that  I  suppose  is  reading ;  but  I 
can't  make  any  thing  of  it ;  though  the  pipe  and 
the  tomahawk,  and  the  moccasins,  be  pretty  well — 
pretty  well,  for  a  man  that,  I  dares  to  say,  never 
seed  'ither  of  the  things.  Ah's  me  !  there  they 
lie,  side  by  side,  happy  enough  !  Who  will  there 
be  to  put  me  in  the  'arth,  when  my  time  comes  ?" 

"  When  that  unfortunate  hour  arrives,  Natty, 
friends  shall  not  be  wanting  to  perform  the  last  of 
fices  for  you,"  said  Oliver,  a  little  touched  at  the 
hunter's  soliloquy. 

The  old  man  turned,  without  manifesting  any  sur 
prise,  for  he  had  got  the  Indian  habits  in  this  par 
ticular,  and  running  his  hand  under  the  bottom  of 
his  nose,  seemed  to  wipe  away  his  sorrow  with  the 
action. 

"  You've  come  out  to  see  the  graves,  children, 
have  ye  ?"  he  said  ;  "  well,  well,  they're  whole  - 
some  sights  to  young  as  well  as  old." 

"  I  hope  they  are  fitted  to  your  liking,"  said  Ef- 
fingham  ;  "  no  one  has  a  better  right  than  yourself 
to  be  consulted  in  the  matter." 

"  Why,  seeing  that  I  an't  used  to  fine  graves," 
eturned  the  old  man,  "  it  is  but  little  matter  con- 
sarning  my  taste.  Ye  laid  the  Major's  head  to  the 
west,  and  Mohegan's  to  the  east,  did  ye,  lad  ?" 

"  At  your  request  it  was  done." 

"  It's  so  best,"  said  the  hunter  ;  "  they  thought 
they  had  to  journey  different  ways,  children ;  though 
there  is  One  greater  than  all,  who'll  bring  the  just 


602  THE    PIONEERS. 

together  ag'm  at  his  own  time,  and  who'll  whiten 
the  skin  of  a  black-moor,  and  place  him  on  a  foot 
ing  with  princes." 

"  There  is  but  little  reason  to  doubt  that,"  said 
Elizabeth,  whose  decided  tones  were  changed  to  a 
soft,  melancholy  voice  ;  "  I  trust  we  shall  all  meet 
again,  and  be  happy  together." 

"  Shall  we,  child  ?  shall  we  ?"  exclaimed  the 
hunter,  with  unusual  fervour  ;  "  there's  comfort  in 
that  thought  too.  But  before  I  go,  I  should  like  to 
know  what  'tis  you  tell  these  people,  that  be  flock 
ing  into  the  country  like  pigeons  in  the  spring,  of 
the  old  Delaware,  and  of  the  bravest  white  man 
that  ever  trod  the  hills." 

Effingham  and  Elizabeth  were  surprised  at  the 
manner  of  the  Leather-stocking,  which  was  unu 
sually  impressive  and  solemn  ;  but  attributing  it  to 
the  scene,  the  young  man  turned  to  the  monument, 
and  read  aloud — 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Oliver  Effingham, 
Esquire,  formerly  a  Major  in  his  B.  Majesty's  60th 
Foot ;  a  soldier  of  tried  valour;  a  subject  of  chival- 
ric  loyalty  ;  and  a  man  of  honesty.  To  these  vir 
tues,  he  added  the  graces  of  a  Christian.  The 
morning  of  his  life  was  spent  in  honour,  wealth, 
and  power ;  but  its  evening  was  obscured  by  po 
verty,  neglect,  and  disease,  which  were  alleviated 
only  by  the  tender  care  of  his  old,  faithful,  and  up 
right  friend  and  attendant,  Nathaniel  Bumppo. 
His  descendants  rear  this  stone  to  the  virtues  of 
the  master,  and  to  the  enduring  gratitude  of  the 
servant." 

The  Leather-stocking  stared  at  the  sound  of  his 
own  name,  and  a  smile  of  joy  illumined  his  wrinkled 
features,  as  he  said — 

u  And  did  ye  say  it,  lad  ?  have  you  then  got  the 
old  man's  name  cut  in  the  stone,  by  the  side  of  his 


THE    PIONEERS  603 

master's  ?  God  bless  ye,  children !  'twas  a  kind 
thought,  and  kindness  goes  to  the  heart  as  life 
shortens." 

Elizabeth  turned  her  back  to  the  speakers,  but 
the  pure  cambric,  that  contrasted  to  her  dark  eyes, 
attested  the  feelings  of  the  youthful  bride.  Effing- 
ham  made  a  fruitless  effort  to  speak  before  he  suc 
ceeded  in  saying — 

"  It  is  there  cut  in  plain  marble  ;  but  it  should 
have  been  written  in  letters  of  gold  !" 

"  Show  me  the  name,  boy,"  said  Natty,  with 
simple  eagerness ;  u  let  me  see  my  own  name 
placed  in  such  honour.  'Tis  a  gin'rous  gift  to  a 
man,  who  leaves  none  of  his  name  and  family  be 
hind  him  in  a  country,  where  he  has  tarried  so 
long." 

Effingham  guided  his  finger  to  the  spot,  and 
Natty  followed  the  windings  of  the  letters  to  the 
end,  with  deep  interest,  when  he  raised  himself 
from  the  tomb,  and  said — 

"  I  suppose  it's  all  right,  and  it's  kindly  thought, 
and  kindly  done  !  But  what  have  ye  put  over  the 
Red-skin  ?" 

"  You  shall  hear"— 

"  This  stone  is  raised  to  the  memory  of  an  In 
dian  Chief,  of  the  Delaware  tribe,  who  was  known 
by  the  several  names  of  John  Mohesan :  Mohi 
can"— 

"  Mo-hee-can,  lad,  they  call  theirselves !  'he- 
can." 

(  Mohican ;  and  Chingagook" — 

'  'Gach,  boy  ; — 'gach-gook  ;  Chingachgook  ; 
which,  intarpreted,  means  Big-sarpent.  The  name 
should  be  set  down  right,  for  an  Indian's  name  has 
always  some  meaning  in  it." 

"  I  will  see  it  altered,"  said  Edwards.  u  He 
was  the  last  of  his  people  who  continued  to  inha- 


604  THE   PIONEERS. 

bit  this  country ;  and  it  may  be  said  of  him,  em 
phatically,  that  his  faults  were  those  of  an  Indian, 
and  his  virtues  those  of  a  man.'7 

"  You  never  said  truer  word,  Mr.  Oliver ;  ah's 
me  !  if  you  had  know'd  him  as  I  did,  in  his  prime, 
in  that  very  battle,  where  the  old  gentleman,  who 
sleeps  by  his  side,  sav'd  his  life,  when  them  thieves, 
the  Iriquois,  had  him  at  the  stake,  you'd  have  said 
all  that,  and  more  too.  I  cut  the  thongs  with  this 
very  hand,  and  gave  him  my  own  tomahawk  and 
knife,  seeing  that  the  rifle  was  always  my  fav'rite 
weapon.  He  did  lay  about  him  like  a  man  !  I  met 
him  as  I  was  coming  home  from  the  trail,  with 
eleven  Mingo  scalps  on  his  pole.  You  needn't 
shudder,  Madam  Effingham,  for  they  was  all  from 
shav'd  heads  and  warriors.  When  I  look  about 
me,  at  these  hills,  where  I  used-to-could  count 
sometimes  twenty  smokes,  curling  over  the  tree- 
tops,  from  the  Delaware  camps,  it  raises  mournful 
thoughts,  to  think,  that  not  a  Red-skin  is  left  of 
them  all ;  unless  it  may  be  a  drunken  vagabond 
frqm  the  Oneidas,  or  them  Yankee  Indians,  who, 
they  say,  be  moving  up  from  the  sea-shore ;  and 
who  belong  to  none  of  God's  creaters,  to  my  seem 
ing  ;  being,  as  it  were,  neither  fish  nor  flesh  ;  nei 
ther  white  man,  nor  savage.  Well  I  well  !  the 
time  has  come  at  last,  and  I  must  go" — 

"  Go  !"  echoed  Edwards,  "  whither  do  you 
go  ?" 

The  Leather-stocking,  who  had  imbibed,  uncon 
sciously,  many  of  the  Indian  qualities,  though  he 
always  thought  of  himself  as  of  a  civilized  being, 
compared  with  even  the  Delawares,  averted  his 
face  to  conceal  the  workings  of  his  muscles,  as  he 
stooped  to  lift  a  large  pack  fi  om  behind  the  tomb, 
which  he  placed  deliberately  on  his  shoulders. 

"  Go !"  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  approaching  him, 


THE    PIONEERS.  605 

with  a  hurried  step  ;  "  you  should  not  venture  so 
far  in  the  woods  alone,  at  your  time  of  life,  Natty ; 
indeed,  it  is  imprudent.  He  is  bent,  Effingham,  on 
some  distant  hunting." 

"  What  Mrs.  Effingham  tells  you  is  true,  Leather- 
stocking,"  said  Edwards  ;  "  there  can  be  no  neces 
sity  for  your  submitting  to  such  hardships  now !  So 
throw  aside  your  pack,  and  confine  your  hunt  to  the 
mountains  near  us,  if  you  will  go." 

"  Hardship  !  'tis  a  pleasure,  children,  and  the 
greatest  that  is  left  me  on  this  side  the  grave." 

"  No,  no  ;  you  shall  not  go  to  such  a  distance," 
cried  Elizabeth,  smiling,  and  laying  her  white  hand 
on  his  deer-skin  pack.  "  I  am  right !  I  feel  his 
camp-kettle  and  a  canister  of  powder  !  he  must  not 
be  suffered  to  wander  so  far  from  us,  Oliver ;  re 
member  how  suddenly  Mohegan  dropp'd  away." 

"  I  know'd  the  parting  would  come  hard,  chil 
dren  ;  I  know'd  it  would  !"  said  Natty,  "  and  so  I 
got  aside  to  look  at  the  graves  by  myself,  and 
thought  if  I  left  ye  the  keep-sake  which  the  Major 
gave  me,  when  we  first  parted  in  the  woods,  ye 
wouldn't  take  it  unkind,  but  would  know,  that,  let 
the  old  man's  body  go  where  it  might,  his  feelings 
staid  behind  him." 

"  This  means  something  more  than  common  !" 
exclaimed  the  youth  ;  "  where  is  it,  Natty,  that  you 
purpose  going  ?" 

The  hunter  drew  nigh  him  with  a  confident,  rea 
soning  air,  as  if  what  he  had  to  say  would  silence 
all  objections,  and  replied — 

"  Why,  lad,  they  tell  me,  that  on  the  Big-lakes 
there's  the  best  of  hunting,  and  a  great  range,  with 
out  a  white  man  on  it,  unless  it  may  be  one  like  my 
self.  I'm  weary  of  living  in  clearings,  and  where 
the  hammer  is  sounding  in  my  ears  from  sunrise  to 
sundown.  And  though  I'm  much  bound  to  ye  both 
51  * 


606  THE    PIONEERS. 

children — I  wouldn't  say  it  if  it  was  not  true — 1 
crave  to  go  into  the  woods  ag'in,  I  do." 

"  Woods !"  echoed  Elizabeth,  trembling  with  her 
feelings ;  "  do  you  not  call  these  endless  forests 
woods  ?" 

"  Ah  !  child,  these  be  nothing  to  a  man  that's 
used  to  the  wilderness.  I  have  took  but  little  com 
fort  sin'  your  father  come  on  with  his  settlers ;  but 
I  wouldn't  go  far,  while  the  life  was  in  the  body 
that  lies  under  the  sod  there.  But  now  he's  gone, 
and  Chingachgook  is  gone  ;  and  you  be  both  young 
and  happy.  Yes  !  the  big  house  has  rung  with 
merriment  this  month  past !  And  now,  I  thought, 
was  the  time  to  try  to  get  a  little  comfort,  in  the 
close  of  my  days.  Woods  !  indeed  !  I  doesn't  call 
these  woods,  Madam  Emngham,  where  I  lose  my 
self,  every  day  of  my  life,  in  the  clearings." 

"  If  there  be  any  thing  wanting  to  your  comfort," 
cried  Oliver,  "  name  it,  Leather-stocking  ;  and  if 
it  be  attainable,  it  is  yours." 

"  You  mean  all  for  the  best,  lad ;  I  know  it  -y 
and  so  does  Madam,  too  ;  but  your  ways  isn't  my 
ways.  'Tis  like  the  dead  there,  who  thought,  when 
the  breath  was  in  them,  that  one  went  east,  and 
one  went  west,  to  find  their  heavens  ;  but  they'll 
meet  at  last ;  and  so  shall  we,  children. — Yes,  ind 
as  you've  begun,  and  we  shall  meet  in  the  land  of 
the  just  at  last." 

"  This  is  so  new !  so  unexpected  !"  said  Eliza 
beth,  in  almost  breathless  excitement ;  "  I  had 
thought  you  meant  to  live  with  us,  and  die  with  us, 
Natty." 

"  Words  are  of  no  avail !"  exclaimed  her  hus 
band  ;  "  the  habits  of  forty  years  are  not  to  be  dis 
possessed  by  the  ties  of  a  day.  I  know  you  too 
well  to  urge  you  further,  Natty  ;  unless  you  will 
let  me  build  you  a  hut,  on  one  of  the  distant  hills, 


THE   PIONEERS.  607 

where  we  can  sometimes  see  you,  and  know  that 
you  are  comfortable." 

"  Don't  fear  the  Leather-stocking,  children ;  God 
will  see  that  his  days  be  provided  for,  and  his  ind 
happy.  I  know  you  mean  all  for  the  best,  but  our 
ways  doesn't  agree.  I  love  the  woods,  and  ye 
relish  the  face  of  man ;  I  eat  when  hungry,  and 
drink  when  a-dry,  and  ye  keep  stated  hours  and 
rules  ;  nay,  nay,  you  even  over-feed  the  dogs,  lad, 
from  pure  kindness  ;  and  hounds  should  be  gaunty 
to  run  well.  The  meanest  of  God's  creaters  be 
made  for  some  use,  and  I'm  form'd  for  the  wilder 
ness  ;  and,  if  ye  love  me,  let  me  go  where  my  soul 
craves  to  be  ag'in  !" 

The  appeal  was  decisive  ;  not  another  word  of 
entreaty  for  him  to  remain  was  then  uttered  ;  but 
Elizabeth  bent  her  head  to  her  bosom  and  wept, 
while  her  husband  dashed  away  the  tears  from  his 
eyes,  and,  with  hands  that  almost  refused  to  per 
form  their  office,  he  produced  his  pocket-book,  and 
extended  a  parcel  of  bank-notes  to  the  hunter. 

"  Take  these,"  he  said,  "  at  least,  take  these  ; 
secure  them  about  your  person,  and,  in  the  hour  of 
need,  they  will  do  you  good  service." 

The  old  man  took  the  notes,  and  examined  them 
with  a  curious  eye,  when  he  said — 

"  This,  then,  is  some  of  the  new-fashioned  mo 
ney  that  they've  been  making  at  Albany,  out  of 
paper  !  It  can't  be  worth  much  to  they  that  hasn't 
laming  !  No,  no,  lad — take  back  the  stuff;  it  will 
do  me  no  sarvice.  I  took  kear  to  get  all  the 
Frenchman's  powder,  afore  he  broke  up,  and  they 
say  lead  grows  where  I'm  going.  It  isn't  even  fit 
for  wads,  seeing  that  I  use  none  but  leather ! — 
Madam  Effingham,  let  an  old  man  kiss  your  hand, 
and  wish  God's  choicest  blessings  on  you  and 
your'n  " 


608  THE    PIONEERS. 

u  Once  more  let  me  beseech  you,  stay !"  ciied 
Elizabeth.  "  Do  not,  Leather-stocking,  leave  me 
to  grieve  for  the  man,  who  has  twice  rescued  me 
from  death,  and  who  has  served  those  I  love  so 
faithfully.  For  my  sake,  if  not  for  your  own,  stay. 
I  shall  see  you  in  those  frightful  dreams  that  still 
haunt  my  nights,  dying  in  poverty  and  age,  by  the 
side  of  those  terrific  beasts  you  slew.  There  will 
be  no  evil,  that  sickness,  want,  and  solitude  can  in 
flict,  that  my  fancy  will  not  conjure  as  your  fate. 
Stay  with  us,  old  man  ;  if  not  for  your  own  sake, 
at  least  for  ours." 

"  Such  thoughts  and  bitter  dreams,  Madam  Ef- 
fingham,"  returned  the  hunter,  solemnly,  "  will 
never  haunt  an  innocent  parson  long.  They'll  pass 
away  with  God's  pleasure.  And  if  the  cat-a-mounts 
be  yet  brought  to  your  eyes  in  sleep,  'tis  not  for 
my  sake,  but  to  show  you  the  power  of  him  that 
led  me  there  to  save  you.  Trust  in  God,  Madam, 
and  your  honourable  husband,  and  the  thoughts  for 
an  old  man  like  me  can  never  be  long  nor  bitter. 
I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  keep  you  in  mind — the 
Lord  that  lives  in  clearings  as  well  as  in  the  wilder 
ness — and  bless  you,  and  all  that  belong  to  you, 
from  this  time,  till  the  great  day  when  the  whites 
shall  meet  the  red-skins  in  judgment,  and  justice 
shall  be  the  law,  and  not  power." 

Elizabeth  raised  her  head,  and  offered  her  co 
lourless  cheek  to  his  salute,  when  he  lifted  his  cap, 
and  touched  it  respectfully.  His  hand  was  grasped 
with  convulsive  fervour  by  the  youth,  who  con 
tinued  silent.  The  hunter  prepared  himself  for 
his  journey,  drawing  his  belt  tighter,  and  wasting 
his  moments  in  the  little  reluctant  movements  of  a 
sorrowful  departure.  Once  or  twice  he  essayed  to 
speak,  but  a  rising  in  his  throat  prevented  it.  At 
length  he  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  cried  with  a 


THE    PIONEERS.  G09 

clear  huntsman's  call,  that  echoed  through  the 
woods — 

"  He-e-e-re,  he-e-e-re,  pups — away,  dogs,  away; 
— ye'li  be  foot-sore  afore  ye  see  the  ind  of  the 
journey  !" 

The  hounds  leaped  from  the  earth  at  his  cry, 
and,  scenting  around  the  graves  and  the  silent  pair, 
as  if  conscious  of  their  own  destination,  they  fol 
lowed  humbly  at  the  heels  of  their  master.  A  short 
pause  succeeded,  during  which  even  the  youth  con 
cealed  his  face  on  his  grandfather's  tomb.  When 
the  pride  of  manhood,  however,  had  suppressed  the 
feelings  of  nature,  he  turned  to  renew  his  entrea 
ties,  but  saw  that  the  cemetery  was  occupied  only 
by  himself  and  his  wife. 

"  He  is  gone  !"  cried  Effingham. 

Elizabeth  raised  her  face,  and  saw  the  old  hunter 
standing,  looking  back  for  a  moment,  on  the  verge 
of  the  wood.  As  he  caught  their  glances,  he  drew 
his  hard  hand  hastily  across  his  eyes  again,  waved 
it  on  high  for  an  adieu,  and,  uttering  a  forced  cry 
to  his  dogs,  who  were  crouching  at  his  feet,  he  en 
tered  the  forest. 

This  was  the  last  that  they  ever  saw  of  the  Lea 
ther-stocking,  whose  rapid  movements  preceded 
the  pursuit  which  Judge  Temple  both  ordered  and 
conducted  He  had  gone  far  towards  the  setting 
sun, — the  foremost  in  that  band  of  Pioneers,  who 
are  opening  the  way  for  the  march  of  our  nation 
across  the  continent. 


THE    END- 


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